No. 63 March 2016

Newsletter of the Indian Academy of Sciences

EIGHTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING, PUNE 6–8 NOVEMBER 2015

The 81st Annual Meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences was held at IISER–Pune. The meeting was hosted by IISER – Pune in association with CSIR–NCL Inside... and NCCS, during 6 to 8 November 2015. The three-day meeting began with the Presidential Address, followed by 1. Eighty-First Annual Meeting, Pune ...... 1 two mini-symposia – one on “Light and Matter” and the other on “General Relativity”, two public lectures, two 2. Council ...... 7 special lectures, as well as lectures on various topics by 3. Twenty-Seventh Mid-Year Meeting ...... 8 Fellows and Associates of the Academy. This meeting 4. Elections 2016 ...... 9 was attended by 130 Fellows and Associates of the 5. Special Issues of Journals ...... 11 Academy and by 40 teachers. 6. Promotion of Academy Journals ...... 13 On 5th November, members of the Science Education 7. Discussion Meetings ...... 14 Panel met with the invited teachers in an interactive session. 8. Raman Professor...... 16 This meeting was also attended by the Fellows of the Academy who were present on that day at the meeting 9. Jubilee Professor ...... 16 venue. 10. Academy Public Lectures ...... 17

In his Presidential Address, Dipankar Chatterji (IISc, 11. 'Women in Science' Panel Programmes ...... 18 Bengaluru) spoke on the social behaviour of bacteria. It 12. National Science Day 2016 ...... 19 is known that bacteria exhibit several responses under 13. Repository of Scientific Publications of stress which are intimately related to community behaviour; Academy Fellows ...... 19 14. Summer Research Fellowship Programme ...... 20 15. Refresher Courses and Lecture Workshops ...... 20 16. Observance of Vigilance Awareness Week ...... 40 17. Hindi Workshops...... 40 18. Superannuated Academy Staff ...... 40 19. Obituaries ...... 41

1 EDITOR K N Ganesh This Newsletter is available on the Published by Academy website at: www.ias.ac.in/patrika/ Indian Academy of Sciences To receive a regular copy of the Bengaluru 560 080, India Newsletter, please write to the Phone: (080) 2266 1200, 2361 3922 Executive Secretary of the Academy email: [email protected] ([email protected])

Forthcoming Events

Twenty-seventh Mid-year Meeting, Bengaluru 1 – 2 July 2016

Refresher Courses

• Experimental Physics – 75 Goa University, Goa 10 – 25 May 2016

• Mathematics The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara 6 – 18 June 2016

• Experimental Physics – 76 K L University, Guntur 14 – 29 June 2016

• Differential equations and their applications in science and engineering Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad 4 – 16 July 2016

• Experimental Physics – 77 Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 5 – 20 July 2016

Refresher Course in Experimental Physics Government Helkar Science College, Indore 13 – 28 October 2016

Lecture Workshops • • Internet of things: A research perspective for smart environment Dr GRD College of Science, Coimbatore 15 – 16 April 2016

• Chemistry and biology interface Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 21 – 22 April 2016

• Emerging technologies based on nanoscience – a popularization workshop Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar 22 – 23 April 2016

2 for example, quorum sensing in bacteria in the context proteins of the complex, CDC20 and E2F1, which of formation of biofilms, which could lead to antibiotic leads to aneuploidy. There exists a delicate balance tolerance. Elaborating on the molecular mechanism of between mitotic cell division and aneuploidy, where quorum sensing and biofilm formation, he described an excess of aneuploidy leads to cell death, while the role of RNA polymerase and secondary aneuploidy up to a certain level leads to excess messengers such as guanosine pentaphosphate proliferation. He also explained the role of the (ppGpp) and cyclic di-guanylate (c-di-GMP) in biofilm microRNA miR-125b, which inhibits cell proliferation formation. ppGpp, for example, was found to bind by transiently activating SAC. to the Rel enzyme, thus regulating the stringent response induced in bacteria when in hostile Kaushal Varma (IISc, Bengaluru) presented his environments (such as those found in the host cell). work on quadrature domains and potential theory. The take-home message was that bacteria are arguably Based, among others, on the Aharonov-Shapiro the toughest survival artists on the planet. That these Theorem, he explained the conditions for identifying microorganisms can even be immune to antibiotics is other quadrature domains. ascribed to their ability to re-organise themselves The year 2015 was the Centennial Year of General through cooperation. If we can understand how they Relativity. Also, the UN General Assembly in its cooperate, we may succeed in outwitting these tiny, 68th Session proclaimed this year as the International but tough and social creatures and combat the peril of Year of Light and Light-based Technologies antibiotic resistance. (IYL 2015). To commemorate these mileposts and This was followed by a talk by Rama Kant (University bring together scientific minds to review the current of Delhi, Delhi) on the theories for anomalous scenario and future directions in these fields, the responses in disordered electrodes. He combines 81st Annual Meeting of the Academy included experimental techniques like scanning electron symposia on general relativity and on light and matter. microscopy with theoretical modelling in nano- The symposium on ‘Light and Matter’ comprised electrochemistry to study the properties of electrode three lectures detailing the use of light-based surfaces. The nano-level topology of electrode technologies in areas ranging from physics and surfaces affects local work function, which in turn botany to medical sciences. The opening lecture by affects charge transfer, adsorption and other G Ravindra Kumar (TIFR, Mumbai) was on high- electronic properties. He also showed that properties intensity lasers in physics. The talk focused on two like exchange current density can be controlled with basic themes – one dealing with how light couples electrode shape and roughness. to plasmas and the other with the consequence of The use of atomically thin membranes in solid state such coupling, namely, the production of hot electrons physics has surged over the last 10 years. These and the transport of their mega-ampere currents layers, just one atom thick, are flexible, resistant through dense matter. He presented the work from to mechanical strain, biocompatible and can function his laboratory: creation of gigantic magnetic fields, at room temperatures. These properties have led to ultrafast plasma dynamics, passage of relativistic the emergence of flexible opto-electronic devices for particles through dense, hot matter and the a range of functions, such as light emitting diodes interesting consequences in terms of electron and and photodetectors. Arindam Ghosh (IISc, Bengaluru) ion accelerations, ultrafast hard x-ray emission laser and his colleagues have developed one of the fusion and laboratory astrophysics. The second lecture most highly sensitive photodetectors known till in the symposium, by Anunay Samanta (University date. They developed a binary hybrid of graphene of Hyderabad, Hyderabad), dealt with employing light and molybdenum disulphide which is capable of as an initiator and a probe. His talk focused on the photodetection of illumination as low as 5×10–10 A/W. core research activities of his team: mechanism of radiative and non-radiative deactivation of a variety of Susanta Roychoudhury (Saroj Gupta Cancer Center photo-excited systems, spectral and temporal and Research Institute, Kolkata) presented his characterisation of short-lived species, and dynamics group’s studies on mitotic stress in cancer. He of various ultrafast processes in different media. explained the role of the spindle assembly check G Krishnamoorthy (Anna University, ) point (SAC), which constitutes a protein complex delivered the last talk of this symposium in which he that regulates cell division. He hypothesised that emphasised the role of light in molecular biophysics. mutation or absence of tumour suppressor proteins He spoke on the usefulness of various time-domain like p53 and Rb leads to overexpression of two fluorescent techniques for addressing issues related

3 to dynamics of proteins, protein–DNA complexes, bio-membranes and single living cells. He also discussed some of his team’s work such as the motional dynamics of side chains used to obtain structural information on protein folding, the continuous nature of protein folding brought out in the time evolution of structural change during folded-unfolded transition, which was revealed by rotational dynamics, the internal structure of protein fibrils revealed by site-specific side-chain dynamics, the correlation between protein side chain motion and solvent dynamics, local and segmental dynamics of DNA circuitry that enables the brain to perceive two points used to reveal mechanistic aspects in DNA as physically distinct. In rodents, the whiskers on the recombination and DNA replication error identification, snout act as ‘fingers’ that sense the environment site-specific dynamics used in revealing the mechanism and communicate to the brain using an intricate of action of an RNA switch, etc. circuitry called ‘barrels’. She presented the work The first day concluded with a public lecture by from her laboratory, which discovered that the loss CNR Rao (JNCASR, Bengaluru). He recalled his of a single protein, the transcription factor Lhx2, early career when he picked the then little known results in a complete loss of the barrels. Surprisingly, field of solid state chemistry, which would later develop they found that nerves bringing in the signals from into the vast field of materials chemistry. He advised the whiskers do make connections with the sensory students ‘to pick the lonely road’. He advised cortex, although the circuitry that brings about resolution and discrimination is profoundly defective when Lhx2 is lost. These results place Lhx2 as a central regulator of circuit formation in the brain.

The efforts towards the total synthesis of bioactive molecules were presented by K R Prasad (IISc, Bengaluru). He stressed the importance of total synthesis of natural products for producing therapeutically significant molecules on a large scale.

The challenges and opportunities in the field of visible light communications and associated technologies were elaborated by A Chokalingam (IISc, Bengaluru). He spoke about his team’s contribution in the area of multiple LED wireless communications.

The second day included a symposium on ‘General students to pick good problems to work on, and do Relativity’. Ghanashyam Date (IMSc, Chennai) the best work possible with the resources available summarised the successes and challenges of the to them as the quality of science depended on the theory of relativity a hundred years since it was first quality of the scientific question chosen. He also proposed. He elaborated on some spectacular called for a greater chunk of the nation’s GDP to successes of General Relativity in explaining all be invested in scientific research as well as an the gravitational phenomena we know so far, viz. increased contribution from the industry. precession of planetary orbits, the bending of light near massive bodies, gravitational lensing, and the The meeting also witnessed two special lectures in emission of gravitational waves from binary stars. the fields of neurosciences and physical chemistry. Although the theory has survived a century of tests The second day began with the first special lecture, of its validity, it remains young in spirit, as some of titled “Sensational barrels in the brain: the circuitry its predictions are still to be confirmed, notably of sensory resolution” by Shubha Tole (TIFR, the prediction of gravitation waves, singularities in Mumbai). She elaborated on the ability of the sensory black holes and cosmology, the meaning of the system to discriminate, at a very high resolution, cosmological constant, thermodynamic connections signals coming in from various sensory modalities. of general relativity and, most importantly, a correct This ability depends on the precise wiring of the quantum theory of gravity. The next speaker of the

4 symposium, R Gopakumar (ICTS, Bengaluru) Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bengaluru) started his addressed the quantum gravity problem. He lecture by recalling an experiment performed by described early attempts to formulate quantum Edouard Claparede in 1911 on an amnesic patient gravity as a quantum field theory (QFT) of gravitons. with short-term memory to emphasise the difference Analysis of this field theory leads to several in factual and emotional memories. It has since problems, and the amplitude of scattering of been established that long-lasting emotional memories gravitons is not calculable. A resolution of these are formed in the amygdala and factual memories problems comes from string theory, whose funda- are formed in the hippocampus. Through experiments mental constituent is a string, not a particle. Yet, the with rats, this group has shown changes in synaptic lowest excitation of a closed string is the massless functions of even single neurons in the amygdala spin-2 graviton. String theory predicts higher in stressed versus non-stressed subjects. Importantly, curvature corrections to general relativity. The they were able to demonstrate that with Pavlovian scattering amplitude for gravitons can be computed fear conditioning, neurons would fire indiscriminately in this theory, and is finite. The downside of this even in the presence of non-threatening stimuli in remarkable success is that for its consistency, string order to play safe. This information is important for theory needs super-symmetry and extra dimensions. the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders and There is no evidence of this as yet in the Large similar conditions by the design of drugs targeted to Hadron Collider. Recent advances have been made the amygdala and not the hippocampus neurons. in quantum gravity on anti-de Sitter (AdS) space- time. (TIFR, Mumbai) started on A C Anil (NIO, Goa) highlighted the importance of this note. In his talk on applied gravity, he outlined bio-communication in ocean ecosystems through how gravity in AdS space-time could be used to the example of red abalone larvae which meta- understand the non-gravitational conformal field morphose only in the presence of coralline red theory (CFT) on its boundary, a maximally super- algae. Therefore, each organism and its population symmetric version of quantum chromo-dynamics. This dynamics are affected through chemical recognition. correspondence can be used to obtain answers to He described studies that focused on inter-tidal and questions common to many CFTs. For example, in sub-tidal regions that experience most changes in the long wavelength limit, many interactive CFTs are conditions during the day due to tides. Thus, coastal described by the equations of hydrodynamics. Via ecosystems serve as useful markers for changes in the gravity-CFT correspondence, Einstein gravity can climatic or environmental conditions. In temperate be used to obtain the constitutive relations of this regions, seasonal variations play a major role in fluid. The last talk, ‘Gravity and/of Cosmos’, was the changing coastal ecosystems; for example, by T Padmanabhan (IUCAA, Pune), who presented phytoplankton bloom in the spring and other populations intriguing observations on the cosmological follow their cue. In tropical areas, minimal water- constant problem. Seventy per cent of the energy in temperature variations mean sustenance of a uniform the universe is in the form of a dark energy or ecosystem. However, in India, the monsoons cosmological constant, whose (small) value needs to affect salinity via rainfall and river discharge, which be explained. The parameters describing the influence the growth of organisms. The speaker’s universe can be written as the energy density during study of the population dynamics of barnacles with inflation, dark energy density, energy density during specific reference to monsoonal ecosystems and matter–radiation equality, and the scale factor in their perturbations was highlighted. this epoch. With the exception of dark energy, high Quantisation of the notion of isometric group when energy physics can be used to estimate the C*algebra in question is endowed with special data remaining. was discussed by Jyothishman Bhowmick (ISI, Defining porphyrins as pigments of life, M Ravikanth Kolkatta). (IIT, Mumbai) described electron transfer observed Human health in the era of sustainable development in various life processes such as photosynthesis, was described by K Srinath Reddy (Public Health

O2/CO2 transport, and metabolism. Synthesis of Foundation of India, New Delhi) in a public lecture at highly fluorescent systems of polyarylated boron- the end of the second day. His talk indicated that dipyrromethenes (BODIPY) and multi-polyarylated that society’s health and well-being are profoundly BODIPY that could be used as sensors for pH, dependent on the health of our environment and of cyanide and flouride studies was outlined. He also our planet. The new United Nations Sustainable discussed potential applications of using such Development Goals (2015 – 2030) placed health molecules in health and medicine and the challenges firmly within the framework of sustainable economic, therein. social and environmental development. Health and

5 disulphide inter-conversion) lead to intermittent structural oscillations, which in turn lead to fluctuations in fluorescence intensity in a single live cell. Such oscillations are absent for a cancer cell. The number of lipid droplets is much higher in a cancer cell than in a non-malignant cell.

Arpita Patra (IISc, Bengaluru) spoke about using multipatiry cryptography for secure communications to keep data private and its use, an area which has immense applications such as in satellite positioning, e-voting, e-auction, and data mining.

Describing a new approach to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children, Nita Bhandari (Centre for Health Research and Development, New Delhi) described the results from one of the largest such sustainability are tightly woven into a multi-sectoral studies undertaken. The study compared the matrix that must factor in issues such as air efficacy of three different methods of treating SAM pollution, energy and water security, nutrition-sensitive (augmented home food), commercial ready-to-use- agriculture and food systems, climate change, therapeutic-food (RUTF) and locally prepared RUTF, education, poverty reduction, urban planning and and found that locally prepared RUTF was the most gender equity. There is an urgent need for trans- effective of these methods. disciplinary scientific approaches to find and design sustainable solutions. Even in human biology, new Ranjani Vishwanatha (JNCASR, Bengaluru) spoke understandings of the role of the microbiome, the about the synthesis of uniformly doped semi- ecological basis of zoonotic diseases, and the conductor nanocrystals with the constructive use evolutionary biology of antimicrobial resistance of diffusion of dopants out of the nanocrystals with a underscore the interdependence of life forms and wide range of dopants such as Mn, Fe, Co and Ni. the connectivity of human and planetary health. This lecture made a case for such cross-domain Evolvability of chromosomes with respect to the research. bacterial was explored in a talk by Aswin Seshasayee (NCBS, Bengaluru). Adaptation in On the third day, (IACS, bacteria arises by the change of genome and genome Kolkatta), in a special lecture, spoke on ‘Single expression. This is dependent on specific triggers molecule spectroscopy of a single live cell’. He arising from the ‘cost’ versus ‘benefit’ of acquiring discussed some of the applications of single changes in genome organisation. Horizontal gene molecular spectroscopy. In a confocal microscope, the transfer occurs when genes are transferred from one size of the focused spot (~200 nm) is one-hundredth organism to another in the same generation. In the the dimension of a cell. Thus, one can probe different fast-growing bacterial population, genes required regions/organelles in a cell using this. For example, for growth are highly expressed while horizontally substantial differences between a cancer cell and a acquired genes are expressed at lower levels. Such normal cell can be observed: Gold nano-clusters xenogene silencing is contrasted with loss of gene preferentially enter or stain a cancer cell rather than silencing by gene acquisition. Chromatin organisation a non-malignant cell. The red-ox processes (thiol- and convergence of gene regulatory networks determine the gene expression homoeostasis in the evolving bacterial cell.

Sharmila Bapat (NCCS, Pune) drew attention to minimal residual disease cells found in cancer patients after treatment that are found to be drug resistant. This drug refractory behaviour is attributed to molecular heterogeneity due to presence of cancer stem cells. Her work on tumours developed from ovarian cancer stem cells in rats analysed this behaviour and identified discrete cell populations using several functional assays. Drug refractory behaviour was also

6 analysed with observations of shift in cell populations in response to various drug designs. This opens up possibilities for personalised drug design.

The puzzle of the Higgs boson mass and the speculations of physics Beyond the Standard Model were discussed by Gautam Bhattacharyya (SINP, Kolkatta)

Mitali Mukherji (IGIB, New Delhi) described the basic premise of Ayurveda that individuals have differential basal levels of three ‘doshas’ – vaata, pitta and kapha – that define their ‘prakriti’, or well- being. If a perturbation in any of these levels occurs, structure and rheology of the lithosphere affect diseased state occurs and therapy should be surface geology. Over the last decade, advances in directed towards restoration of the individual’s basal earthquake seismology have allowed us to make levels. Due to genomic variations in humans, it is increasingly detailed maps of the variations in difficult to genetically define a healthy individual. lithosphere (plate) thickens. He spoke in detail of the Her study hypothesises that genomic homogeneity 2015 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake and emphasised could be identified through prakriti methods in order that mere prediction accuracy was insufficient. He to categorise individuals into groups that are likely spoke of the need of better knowledge of the earth- to show similarities in response to specific therapy. quake hazards and their context, as well as effective Characteristics associated with the doshas were pathways to improve resilience. used to define the groups of individuals that were On 6 November, a vocal recital by Dr Ashwini Bhide then tested for genomic variation. Deshpande, a Hindustani classical music vocalist In a Special Open Lecture, James Jackson (University from Mumbai who pursues the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, of Cambridge) discussed how variations in the was held.

* * * * * COUNCIL

Until December 2015, the Council under the Presidentship of Prof. Dipankar Chatterji was in office. In January 2016, a new Council assumed office with Prof. R Ramaswamy as the President.

The members of the Council for the period 2016 to 2018 are:

• Prof. R. Ramaswamy (President) • Prof. Lalit Kumar • Prof. Dipankar Chatterji (Previous President) • Prof. (Secretary) • Prof. Manindra Agrawal (Vice-President) • Prof. Partha P. Majumder • Dr. Sunil Bajpai • Prof. K. H. Paranjape • Prof. Sudha Bhattacharya • Prof. R. Ramesh • Prof. • Dr. V. V. Ranade • Dr. Madhu Dikshit • Prof. D. D. Sarma • Prof. K. N. Ganesh (Vice-President ) • Prof. K. L. Sebastian (Vice-President) • Prof. Arun K. Grover (Vice-President) • Prof. R. Varadarajan (Treasurer) • Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare (Secretary) • Prof. Chanda J. Jog

* * * * * 7 1530–1550 Bala Iyer, ICTS, Bengaluru TWENTY-SEVENTH From prediction to detection: Highlights of the fascinating history of gravitational MID-YEAR MEETING waves 1555–1615 Sukanta Bose, IUCAA, Pune 1–2 July 2016 In the era of gravitational wave astronomy Venue: Faculty Hall, 1620–1640 Sendhil Raja, RRCAT, Indore Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Interferometric gravitational wave Programme detectors: Technological challenges 1 July 2016 (Friday) 1645–1705 P Ajith, ICTS, Bengaluru Testing general relativity using 0930–1010 Special Lecture gravitational-wave observations Dipankar Bhattacharya, IUCAA, Pune 1710-1730 Varun Bhalerao, IUCAA, Pune The astrosat mission Multi-messenger astronomy with 1010–1300 Lectures by Fellows/Associates gravitational waves 1010–1030 P B Sunil Kumar, IIT, Chennai 1800–1900 Public Lecture Mechanisms governing shape changes in Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Centre for Policy biological membranes Research, New Delhi 1035–1055 T Punniyamurthy, IIT, Guwahati 2 July 2016 (Saturday) Carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds formation and their application for 0900–094 Special Lecture medicinally significant heterocycles K N Ganeshaiah, Bengaluru Feeling the ‘pulses’ for protein revolution 1120–1140 K N Uma, VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram Tropical mesoscale convective systems 0940–1240 Lectures by Fellows/Associates and its associated dynamics 0940–1000 Amalendu Krishna, TIFR, Mumbai 1145–1205 Suman Chakraborty, IIT, Kharagpur Algebraic K-theory and algebraic cycles Liquid water may stick on hydrophobic 1005–1025 Saman Habib, CDRI, Lucknow surfaces A relict organelle that changed the way 1210–1230 Mahak Sharma, IISER, Mohali we thought of malaria Molecular mechanisms regulating 1030–1050 R Prabhu, IIT, Patna endosome-lysosome tethering and A glimpse into quantum information fusion science 1235–1255 Shantanu Chowdhury, IGIB, Delhi 1120–1300 Lectures by Fellows/Associates Knotty DNA: Another dimension to gene regulation 1120–1140 Subhra Chakraborty, NIPGR, New Delhi Understanding biomolecular networks 1415–1500 Lectures by Fellows/Associates modulating nutrient response and 1415–1435 Debashish Goswami, ISI, Kolkata immunity in plant Quantum group symmetry of classical 1145–1205 Sunil K Singh, PRL, Ahmedabad and noncommutative geometry Biogeochemistry of trace elements and 1440–1500 Kanishka Biswas, JNCASR, Bengaluru isotopes in the Indian Ocean Origin of ultra-low thermal conductivity in 1210–1230 K V Venkatesh, IIT, Mumbai complex chalcogenides: Effect of lone Systems engineering perspective of pair, anharmonic rattling and bonding human metabolism: A multi-scale model asymmetry for disease analysis 1520–1730 Symposium on ‘Gravitational Waves’ 1235–1255 D S Pandey, BHU, Varanasi 1520–1530 Tarun Souradeep, IUCAA, Pune Aggregation induced emission: Introduction Optical and morphological insights

8 ELECTIONS – 2016 FELLOWS

G C Anupama S Ganesh Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur Time Domain Astronomy, Cataclysmic Human Molecular Genetics, Variables, Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Neurobiology of Disease, Burst Sources, Active Galactic Nuclei Stress Biology (Medicine)

K N Balaji Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Indian Association for the Immunology, Infectious Diseases Cultivation of Science, Kolkata Chemical Sensing of Ions, Anion & Ion Pair Recognition Chemistry, Tirthankar Bhattacharyya Interlocked Molecular Systems & Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Self-Assembly Functional Analysis, Hilbert Space, Saman Habib Operator Theory, Several Complex CSIR – Central Drug Research Institute, Variables Lucknow Parasitology, Molecular & Cell Biology Subhra Chakraborty National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi Ramesh Hariharan Nutritional & Stress Genomics, Plant Strand Life Sciences, Bangalore Proteomics, , Computational Biology, Biotechnology Molecular Diagnostics, Design & Suman Chakraborty Analysis of Algorithms Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur Thermal & Fluid Science, Micro & Krishna P Kaliappan Nanoscale Transport, Interfacial Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai Phenomena & Phase Change Organic Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry, Arun Chattopadhyay Natural Products Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Nanoscience & Technology Amalendu Krishna Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai Kedar S Damle Algebraic Cycles, Algebraic K-Theory, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Algebraic Geometry Mumbai Condensed Matter Theory Pawan Malhotra International Centre for Suman K Dhar Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi New Delhi DNA Replication, Malaria Parasite Biology, Cell Cycle Control, Molecular Biology, Drug & Vaccine Molecular Parasitology, Bacteriology Development (Medicine)

9 D S Pandey Pratap Raychaudhuri , Varanasi Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Co-ordination Chemistry, Organometallic Mumbai Chemistry, Bio-inorganic Chemistry Superconductivity Magnetism, Low Temperature Scanning, Tunneling Spectroscopy, High Frequency Amitava Patra Measurements in Superconductors Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata Sanjay Kumar Nanoscience, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Spectroscopy Photophysics Condensed Matter Theory, Biological Physics, Statistical Physics V K Paul All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Sunil K Singh Paediatrics, Newborn Health (Medicine) Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad Low Temperature Elemental & T Punniyamurthy Isotope Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry Indian Institute of Technology, of Trace Elements & Isotopes, Guwahati Earth Surface & Ocean Processes Synthetic Organic Chemistry P B Sunil Kumar Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai S C Raghavan Soft Condensed Matter Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Biological Physics, DNA Double-Strand Break Repair, Computational Physics Genomic Instability, Cancer Therapeutics, Cancer Genetics

A Raghuram K V Venkatesh Indian Institute of Science Education Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and Research, Pune Biosystems Engineering, Number Theory, Representation Synthetic Biology, Theory, Automorphic Forms Metabolic Engineering

HONORARY FELLOW

Ramesh Narayan Harvard University, USA Gravitational Lensing; Accretion Disks; Black Holes; Gamma-Ray Bursts

* * * * *

10 SPECIAL ISSUES papers dealing with spectral line shapes from geo- cosmical plasmas, while the papers of the third group OF JOURNALS are devoted to laboratory astrophysics. They deal with spectral line shapes and consider theoretical aspects Special Issue on Spectral Line Shapes in and the influence of atomic and molecular collisional Astrophysics processes on spectral line profiles.    Editors: Milan S Dimitrijevic and Luka C Popovic This special issue contains valuable reviews which are Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy, Vol. 36, of interest to specialists and PhD students. It also No. 4, December 2015, pp. 421–703 includes scientific papers with results of new research on the topics related to the subject matter. The results The analysis of spectral of investigations presented in this issue will lines from various astro- therefore contribute to the development of our physical sources can be understanding of spectroscopy of active galactic a powerful tool to collect nuclei, spectra connected with black holes and data on various properties interstellar hydrogen clouds. Results of modelling of of objects from the solar spectral lines presented in this special issue may be system to the most distant very useful for future investigations of compact stars, quasars. To understand the in particular of white dwarfs. Similarly, new theoretical physical environment in Stark broadening parameters of spectral lines of Ne I, which spectral lines are O I, Lu III and Xe VI could be important not only originating from for modelling, analysis and synthesis of stellar spectra cosmological sources, but also for various applications in laboratory plasma astronomers need corresponding reliable atomic and molecular data and precise laboratory research as well as for inertial fusion and plasmas measurements of spectral line properties. Therefore, in technology, such as laser welding and piercing of interaction between astrophysicists and laboratory metals and light sources based on plasma. physicists who investigate spectral lines originating from cosmological sources can increase our Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence understanding of the universe. Accordingly, the main objective of the X Conference on ‘Spectral Line Editors: Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay and Shapes in Astrophysics’ at Srebrno Jezero, Serbia, from Rajat K De 15 to 19 June 2015 was to bring astronomers and Journal of Biosciences, Vol. 40, No. 4, October 2015, physicists together. pp. 667–828 This Special Issue of the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy comprises selected papers presented at Computational methods this conference. This international conference was are essential for analysing attended by 69 participants from Algeria, Austria, biological data because Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, major developments in New Zealand, Poland, Republic of Srpska (Bosnia molecular biology and and Herzegovina), Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, advances in high-through- Spain, Tunisia, UK, Ukraine and USA. There were put genomic technologies 27 invited lectures, 19 progress reports and 32 have led to explosive growth posters. As part of the conference, two special in the amount and sessions entitled “Line Shifts in Astrophysics” and complexity of information “Spectral Lines and Compact Stars” within the frame that is routinely collected. of the COST Action MP 1304 “Exploring Fundamental Computational biology, bio-informatics and systems Physics with Compact Stars” were also organized. biology have evolved in response to this challenge, to cater The papers in this special issue have been arranged to various tasks related to exploration, and thereby to subject-wise in three groups. Papers of the first generate knowledge or hypotheses. Many problems in group investigate shapes of spectral lines formed the above areas are closely related to different tasks of in galaxies. In the second group, there are two pattern recognition and machine learning. Much of the

11 biological data is noisy and has missing values. Proceedings of the National Mathematics Data-cleaning and missing-value estimation are Initiative Workshop on Nonlinear Integrable essential in such situations. Systems and their Applications

Gene expression data need efficient feature selection Editors: M Lakshmanan and P Muruganandam methods for identifying a few genes that are of Pramana – Journal of Physics, Vol. 85, No. 5, interest, thereby reducing the problems of dimensionality. November 2015, pp. 753– 1062 For the purpose of decision-making, classification, clustering and prediction methodologies are necessary. Nonlinearity is pervasive Examples include gene function prediction, protein in the description of all classification and microRNA target prediction. natural phenomena. The Clustering is used as one of the basic exploratory data- underlying dynamical processing methods for problems such as sequence description leads to many grouping, identification of coexpressed genes, and novel concepts, including protein module extraction. Similarly, there are integrable systems, optimisation problems galore in drug design and solitons, bifurcations, chaos, many other areas. complexity, patterns and so on. A workshop on ‘Non- In this special issue of the Journal of Biosciences linear Integrable Systems we have focussed on the design and application of and their Applications’ was organised during new and improved techniques of pattern recognition February 24 – March 1, 2014, at the Centre for Non- and machine learning. They are important for gaining linear Dynamics, School of Physics, Bharathidasan deeper biological insights from the large amount of University, . The meeting was organised data collected. The issue provides a wealth of as one of the five activities under the year-long information for academicians, practitioners and programme of National Mathematics Initiative (NMI) students working in computational biology and by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, bioinformatics, systems biology, pattern recognition, on Integrable Systems. The main focus of this and machine learning. Extended versions of some workshop was on the integrability aspects of both selected articles of PReMI-2013 (the 5th International finite-dimensional and continuum nonlinear dynamical Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine systems, modelled by difference, ordinary and partial Intelligence, Kolkata, December 2013) have been differential equations and their applications in diverse considered for review, in addition to other invited areas such as hydrodynamics, nonlinear optics, ones. Topics considered include pattern recognition magnetism, spintronics, field theory, quantum systems, and machine-learning approaches for sequence and Bose–Einstein condensates. About 20 experts analysis, microarray data analysis, biochemical path- from within the country and abroad delivered lectures way analysis, NGS data analysis, microRNA data on various theoretical aspects of nonlinear integrable analysis, classification of diseases and analysis of systems and their applications. comorbid diseases and of data related to evolutionary This issue is a collection of articles on non- biology. All submissions have undergone the journal’s linear integrable systems and their applications. The peer-review procedures. first nine articles provide critical reviews on the basic There are 13 papers in this special issue, highlighting theory and analytical methods of solutions applicable the effectiveness and methodologies of pattern to nonlinear ordinary and partial difference and recognition and machine intelligence for solving a differential equations of contemporary interest. The wide range of problems in molecular biology. We remaining nine articles focus on the progress made hope that the articles in this special issue will not in the applications of the concepts of integrable only help the readers appreciate the importance of nonlinear systems including solitons in diverse areas pattern recognition and machine intelligence of physics, biology and engineering. We do hope that approaches for solving biological problems, but will the reviews and articles explaining the state-of-the-art also inspire them to come up with novel algorithms of the various topics will provide impetus to make and approaches. further progress in the field.

12 Proceedings of UNICOS-2014 International announcement in March 2014 that the BICEP-2 Workshop on Unification and Cosmology experiment at the South Pole had actually measured after Higgs Discovery and BICEP2 a large value for the ratio of power in tensor to power in scalar perturbations (at the level of some parts Editors: Charanjit Singh Aulakh, Kuldeep Kumar per million) away from homogeneity of the cosmic and Urjit Yajnik microwave background also caused a wave of Pramana – Journal of Physics, Vol. 86, No. 2, excitement to sweep across builders of unified February 2016, pp. 193–494 models which supported inflation since the claimed value would put the mass scale controlling inflation The last few years have at almost exactly the value of the scale of grand seen a number of unification. experimental results that substantially confirm the Panjab University – Chandigarh is one of the major interrelated paradigms Indian centres for experimental high energy physics, within which particle physics with longstanding participation in major experiments and cosmology have at FERMILAB, CERN, KEK, etc. UNICOS-2014 was advanced over the past organised in Panjab University, Chandigarh, during half a century, while at the 13 –15 May, 2014 on the occasion of the super- same time raising very annuation of a faculty member (CSA). Researchers challenging questions about from Asia, USA and Europe in the fields of super- the same paradigms. The symmetric grand unification, at the meeting point of announcement in March 2012 by the Daya Bay the hyperactive fields of unification, Higgs physics, Collaboration confirmed that leptonic CP violation cosmology and neutrino physics, participated in would be amenable to experimental investigation. UNICOS-2014 and shared their expertise with many Just a few months later, in July 2012, we witnessed young graduate students from all over the country. the epochal confirmation of a Standard Model Higgs- The contributions in this special issue have been like particle with a relatively large mass of ~125 GeV reviewed by a panel of referees mostly drawn from by the ATLAS and CMS groups at CERN. The the speakers at the conference itself.

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PROMOTION OF ACADEMY JOURNALS

As part of promotion of the Academy’s journals, the Academy participated in 18th CRSI National Symposium on Chemistry held at Panjab University, Chandigarh, from 5 to 7 February 2016, where the Journal of Chemical Sciences, Bulletin of Materials Science, Journal of Biosciences, and Resonance were displayed.

On behalf of the Journal of Chemical Sciences, the Academy awarded two prizes for the best posters.

A similar event was also organised in association with Springer at the International Conference on Nano- science and Technology 2016 (ICONST-2016) held at IISER, Pune, from 29 February to 2 March 2016.

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13 2. The 7th IACS-APCTP-Academy Joint DISCUSSION Meeting on Multiferroics and Emergent Phenomena in Novel Oxide Materials MEETINGS and Low Dimensional Systems

Orange County, Coorg 1. Probability and Analysis 29 November – 2 December 2015

Orange County, Coorg Convener: Jaejun Yu (SNU, Korea) 21 – 24 February 2016 The meeting was organised in two parts, with the first Convener: Mrinal Ghosh part (November 29 – 30) being devoted to multiferroics (Department of Mathematics, and the second (December 1 – 2) to oxides and low- Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru) dimensional materials.

At this meeting, there were eleven talks of which six The conference began with the opening remarks by were on probability and the remaining were on analysis. Professor D.D. Sarma. There were 6 sessions, on the The talks related to random matrices, random topics such as magnetoelectric coupling through polynomials, etc., described in detail the hole the spin flop transition in Ni3TeO 6, models for probabilities in the infinite Ginibre ensemble, asymptotic ferroelectricity, stability of magnons in multiferroic equality of eigenvalues and singular values for products RMnO3, magnetic correlations induced ferroelectricity, of isotropic random matrices, and the distribution of multiferroic order in elemental Se, multiferroicity in zeroes of random polynomials. -Cu2V2O7, magnetoelectric coupling in Fe3O4 nanoparticles and dipole into an incipient ferro- electric.

In the second part of the meeting, there were 15 invited talks and 8 short presentations by young PhD students. The talks covered a variety of subjects including new Fe-based superconductors, graphene, topological insulators, iridates, and multifunctional oxides (both bulk and interfaces). In addition to theoretical talks there were talks on experimental methods as well. A generalisation of a classical stochastic model of a library on a shelf (Tsetlin library) was discussed and Participants got involved with many questions and results on the stationary distribution of this model were discussions, both during and after the talks. There explained. Random geometric graphs were discussed was also presentation by PhD students. The along with three asymptotic regimes, namely, the conference ended with a round table discussion sparse, thermodynamic and connectivity regimes. which touched upon future directions and open Some applications were presented. In the study issues. of non-zero sum stochastic games existence of Nash equilibrium in stationary strategies was 3. Indo-US Workshop on Ceramic established. Coatings and Multilayers

A fresh perspective on Hilbert module approach to Orange County, Coorg multivariable operator theory was presented. Study of 25-28 February 2016 dynamics of holomorphic correspondence led to a dichotomy result. In harmonic analysis, study of Conveners: Ashutosh S. Gandhi (IIT, Bombay), non-linear Schrodinger equations and Hardy- Vikram Jayaram (IISc, Bengaluru), Shrikant V. Joshi Sobolev inequality associated to the special Hermite (University West, Sweden), Carlos G. Levi operator along with mixed norm estimates for (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA) and various associated eigenfunction expansions were Sanjay Sampath (Stony Brook University, USA) presented. The talk on Green's function and Robin This bilateral workshop was convened to bring together metric revived interest in some old classical topics in scientists and practitioners in the field of thermo- function theory. structural and functional ceramic coatings and

14 • Simulations of failure modes in multilayered systems

• Miniaturized and in situ testing of thin films for fracture toughness and other mechanical properties

• High-temperature mechanical measurements at nanometer length scale

• Thermodynamic and first principle modelling of systems relevant to ceramic coatings multilayers. These advanced engineered surfaces find • Thermal spray techniques for ceramic coatings widespread applications in energy and propulsion and multilayers: Plasma spray synthesis of multilayer systems, especially in gas turbine engines, and oxides emerging areas of solid oxide fuel cells. Coatings have now become crucial to the economic and safe • Coatings technologies for structural component repair operation of advanced engine systems and this has • New plasma spray techniques including suspension motivated extensive research and development in and precursor plasma spraying the field. These systems experience a multitude of degradation mechanisms, from oxidation – induced • Nanocomposite hard and tough coatings by delamination to erosion and chemical attack. A magnetron sputtering multidisciplinary research strategy is required not only to elucidate the operational mechanisms but • Perovskite solar cells for cheap, efficient, clean also to develop a framework for selection of new energy materials and multilayer architectures. Of further • Solid oxide fuel cell materials: Interface dynamics, importance are the synthesis and processing of microstructure, fabrication techniques and the layered assemblages whose parameterisation is mechanistic understanding of performance critical to coating design, and reliable manufacturing. Finally, advanced characterisation and performance evaluation of these layered anisotropic materials The Indo–US bilateral workshop has opened remains a critical challenge from both academic and opportunities for collaboration. The workshop featured industrial perspectives. Hence, a workshop that participation of students from both countries, fostering brings multidisciplinary experts together to discuss future collaborations. The workshop will have served its these aspects is timely and useful. purpose if it encourages expanded research in this emergent field. Experts presented their perspective of the field through presentations on the topics highlighted below: Financial support was also provided by the Indo–US Science and Technology Forum for travel expenses • Challenges in developing higher temperature coatings of US and Indian participants. The International for gas turbines: Phase stability, fracture toughness, Center for Materials Research at University of California, environmental attack, new TBC materials Santa Barbara, supported the participation of five US students in the workshop. • Environmental barrier coatings

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15 RAMAN PROFESSOR

Timothy John Pedley, G.I. Taylor Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, UK, the Academy’s 31st Raman Professor, was in India in February 2016 for three weeks to take up the chair. He visited the TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences (TCIS), Hyderabad, from 21–25 February 2016 and participated in a focussed seminar on ‘Spherical squimers: Models for swimming micro-organisms’ and then in a general one on ‘Micro-organisms swimming: Individual and collective behaviour’ at the .

He had interactive session and research discussions with the students and faculty of Engineering Mechanics Unit of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, and the Chemical Engineering Department if Indian Institute of Science during his stay in Bengaluru. He delivered an Academy Publlic Lecture titled ‘Micro- organisms swimming: Individual and collective behaviour’ on 29 February 2016 at IISc, Bengaluru.

He has planned his next visit for November 2016 for his second phase as Raman Professor.

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JUBILEE PROFESSOR

Madhu Sudan, Gordon Mckay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, was the Platinum Jubilee Professor of the Indian Academy of Sciences during December 2015 – January 2016.

He visited India from 27 December 2015 to 9 January 2016. The lectures he delivered during his visit varied from in-depth expositions of current areas of research aimed at experts in the field to public lectures exposing the role of mathematics in applied fields such as computer science and communication.

The lectures included a series on “Property Testing and Affine Invariance” at IIT, Bombay; a lecture on ‘Communication Amid Uncertainty’ at TIFR as part of the BITS Bombay Information Theory Symposium honouring the 100th anniversary of Claude Shannon, and Public Lectures on ‘Reliable Meaningful Communication’ hosted by IISER, Pune, and on ‘Mathematics, Proofs and Computation’ at CBS in Mumbai.

His interactions with the Indian scientific community were with established researchers within his discipline as well as with those from other fields for interdisciplinary research, and with students and junior researchers.

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16 ACADEMY PUBLIC LECTURES

Gravitation and the Cosmos: 100 Years Micro-organisms Swimming: Individual and after Einstein’s Discovery of General Collective Behaviour Relativity T J Pedley Abhay Ashtekar Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, and Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (UK) Department of Physics, Penn State University, USA 29 February 2016, Indian Institute of Science, 9 October 2015, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Bengaluru

This public lecture was organised as part of the T J Pedley, FRS, is the the Raman Chair Professorship celebrations commemorating the Centenary of of the Academy from February to March 2016. Pedley Einstein’s Discovery of General Relativity. Ashtekar is is Emeritus G. I. Taylor Professor at the University an Honorary Fellow of the Academy and held the of Cambridge. Raman Chair Professorship from December 2004 to Pedley said that swimming micro-organisms are January 2005. everywhere: inside people (sperm and gut bacteria) Ashtekar began his talk with a brief account of and outside (algae and bacteria in bioreactors, lakes, the discovery of general relativity and the birth of oceans). In this talk, he surveyed the fluid mechanics modern cosmology. He discussed the concept of of micro-organism swimming, from the low-Reynolds- black holes and the major role they have played in number locomotion of individuals to the not-necessarily- astrophysics and fundamental physics, and finally low-Reynolds-number flows that they collectively dwelt upon the notion of gravitational waves. He generate in suspensions. The survey for individuals pointed out that they will soon open a new window started from the analyses of Taylor and Lighthill in on the universe which offers an exceptional the 1950s and finished with the very recent opportunity for India to play a major role in the demonstration that fluid mechanics alone is enough international network of gravitational wave observatories to coordinate the beating of multiple cilia into through the LIGO-India initiative. With many historical metachronal waves, at least on Volvox. The survey for anecdotes, Ashtekar illustrated a centenary of successive suspensions started from studies of gyrotaxis in the 1990s triumphs of general relativity and explained why and went on to the coherent structures driven researchers who study general relativity in a serious by cell swimming stresslets, discovered in the 2000s, manner continue to be enchanted by its magic even and concluded with some simulations of relatively a century after its discovery. concentrated suspensions.

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17 ‘WOMEN IN SCIENCE’ PANEL PROGRAMMES

Women in Science: A Career in Science P Ramadevi, Department of Physics, IIT, Bombay, in a Karnataka State Women’s University, Bijapur lecture titled “Fun with Knots”, spoke on the knot theory 8 March 2015 and connections to topological string theories, matrix models, and supersymmetric gauge theories in physics. She explained the properties of knots and the computation A seminar on ‘Women in Science (WiS): A Career in of Jones’ polynomials with some examples. She showed Science’ was organised on 8 March 2015, International an elegant method of obtaining polynomials and more Women’s Day, with the following goals: (i) to expose generalised polynomials for these knots. postgraduate and women PhD students to new and exciting ideas and directions in different areas of In a lecture titled “Chemistry, Biology and Physics of science; (ii) to equip them with basic conceptual and Stars and Galaxies”, Annapurni Subramanian, Indian technological tools to ask and answer relevant Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, Bengaluru, research questions; (iii) to inspire and motivate young started by asking: Is there anyone who is not fascinated women to take up career in science and (iv) to create by the beauty of a starry sky in the night? Why do we an awareness on various career options available to study the stars and galaxies up there in the sky? She young women scientists. introduced the fascinating topic of astronomy and why it was necessary for us to understand the universe, its Two-hundred and thirty-nine participants (postgraduate chemistry, biology and physics. She also talked about students, research scholars and young faculty) mainly the new challenging projects in the making and women’s from different departments of the Karnataka State contribution. Women’s University (KSWU), Bijapur, attended the seminar. A team of six scientists and teachers gave “Shape Optimization Problems via the Problem of Queen lectures and interacted with the participants. Dido” was the title of the lecture by Anisa Chorwadwala, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Meena R Chandawarkar, Vice Chancellor, KSWU, Pune. She spoke on the shape optimization problems, delivered the inaugural address and mentioned that this calculus of variations and geometric analysis. She talked seminar was the most effective and meaningful way of about one such shape optimization problem in the celebrating International Women’s Day. She said that Euclidean space and its generalization to certain other many women were deterred from pursuing a career in Riemannian manifolds and other configurations. science at the highest levels. The reasons behind this potential waste of human talent must be addressed. She Suhita Nadkarni, Indian Institute of Science Education also said that the presence of eminent women scientists and Research, Pune, in her talk titled “Eavesdropping and their presentations would definitely inspire women on Chitter Chatter at a Synapse Using Computational students and help shape their careers. She offered Simulations”, shed light on the biophysics of synaptic unconditional assistance to promote science in the transmission in normal function and pathological states. region. She explained how neurons talk to each other via a special junction called a synapse. She talked about her Lalitha Guruprasad, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, in silico experiments on a small synapse in the in her lecture on “Making the Most from a Protein hippocampus, a part of the brain crucial for learning and Sequence”, said that the correlation from protein memory and some interesting insights on synaptic sequence to structural and functional information is plasticity that was gathered from her studies. more valuable in the current genomic era. Using computational methods, one can identify novel domains, In the panel discussion, the participants asked questions repeat and predict their protein structure and function. regarding how to balance career and responsibilities at As a complement to her computational studies, some home and how to manage family while doing research in of the hypotheses are validated experimentally. science. The panelists (Riddhi Shah, all invited speakers, She discussed her research results during her Renuka Meti and MS Jogad) shared their experiences presentation. and views and provided guidance to the participants. * * * * *

18 NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY 2016

The Academy in association with The Academy Trust A demonstration on ‘Flying Drones’ was conducted by and Agastya International Foundation celebrated the Aerospace Department of IISc, which was followed National Science Day on 29 February 2016 in its by a display and demonstration of various science premises. The focal theme was ‘Make in India: models by Agastya International Foundation. Students’ Technology-Driven Innovations’. Many science aware- visit to the Raman Museum at Raman Research Institute ness activities were held. A popular science talk on concluded the events of the day. Over 100 students ‘Indigenous Developments in Aeronautical Engineering’ from neighbouring schools participated in these by Sudhindra Haldodderi, Retired Scientist, DRDO, and activities. Faculty, Jain University, was followed by a hands-on session on making paper gliders by VSS Sastry.

REPOSITORY OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS OF ACADEMY FELLOWS

The following are some numbers from the repository of publications of Fellows. The numbers of publication records in the repository of publications that were published in the last three years: 9 in 2016, 57 in 2015, 121 in 2014, and 251 in 2013 (numbers as in March 2016). These numbers can be seen in the 'Browse by year' page on the repository website. The numbers of publication records added to the repository: 109 in 2016, 465 in 2015, 709 in 2014, and 1270 in 2013 (numbers as in March 2016). The idea of institutional and other repositories of scholarly publications was born in the Open Access (OA) movement, whose main arena was and remains.North America and Europe. Many institutional repositories have been set up in India, and the Academy's repository is a kind of third- party repository. Still, the primary aim of an OA repository, which is to make some version of all scholarly publications available freely to all, was addressed by Indian research institutions and funding agencies until only last year, when DST and DBT jointly announced their OA policy and mandate (http://www.dbtindia.nic. in/wp-content/uploads/APPROVED-OPEN-ACCESS-POLICY-DBTDST12.12.2014.pdf). The IASc repository can be a true OA repository only when all publication records in it include a full-text file of the publication. Given publishers' policies and the fact that much research is and may continue to be published in closed-access journals, the way to OA continues largely to be via deposit of author version of accepted publications in OA repositories. Funding agency and institutional OA mandates only help this cause. Do you think an Academy OA mandate is appropriate? Do you think also that Academy journals should go OA? Please send your opinion to [email protected]. And of course, please inform the Eprints team ([email protected]) in the Academy office about your publications not included in the repository.

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19 SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS – 2016

This is the tenth year of the Summer Research Fellowship Programme jointly conducted by the three National Science Academies of the country. The 2016 Programme was announced in September 2015 and the last date for receipt of applications was 30 November 2015. Selection Committees in six disciplines met during the second week of December 2015 to scrutinise the applications and make selections. The following table indicates the number of applications received from students and teachers and the subject-wise shortlist. No. of applications received Shortlisted for selection Subjects Students Teachers Students Teachers

Life Sciences 2954 121 571 73

Engineering & Technology 8488 155 738 58

Chemistry 1735 78 311 34

Physics 1935 75 337 36

Earth & Planetary Sciences 748 07 167 04

Mathematics 810 18 145 11

TOTAL 16670 454 2269 216

GRAND TOTAL 17124 2485

The next issue of Patrika will include the number of fellowships offered, those actually availed and some analysis of the data.

REFRESHER COURSES AND LECTURE WORKSHOPS Jointly conducted by IASc (Bengaluru), INSA (New Delhi) and NASI (Allahabad)

Two-week Refresher Courses are aimed at helping BSc and MSc levels, and many universities in the teachers to add value to their teaching and are designed country have adopted these experiments as part of their to have direct relevance to the study materials covered curricula. In order to conduct the Refresher Courses, in the graduate and undergraduate syllabi followed in a user-friendly kit containing several components has universities and institutions in the country. The following been developed and manufactured under licence by Courses were held from October 2015 to March 2016. M/s Ajay Sensors and Instruments, Bengaluru. The following is the list of Experimental Physics Courses A. Refresher Courses in Experimental held from October 2015 to March 2016. Physics The Refresher Courses in Experimental Physics were 1. Experimental Physics – 74 held under the direction of R Srinivasan, who was Tripura University, Tripura instrumental in the conceptualization and designing 8–23 March 2016 of the experiments. He has so far held 74 courses in different parts of the country since 1999. These Co-ordinator: Anirban Guha experiments are useful for laboratory programmes at No. of Participants: 25

20 continued opics Basic science of water (physical, chemical and biological aspects), water in clouds and the atmosphere, ocean physics, hydrology and water resources, the cryosphere and climate clean change, surface science of water, water: issues and nanotechnology solutions, water management and harvesting, water in the solar system and space Progress in developmental biology: from past to present, how make a gonad: lessons from mouse and man, regulation of ovarian function, folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis, perspectives of early mammalian development, orientation to bioinformatics, embyo implantation, basic reproductive in testis biology, concepts molecular cytogenetics, toxicology, hormone-receptor interaction, biomedical research, etc. Thermodynamics, phase equilibria sedimentology: relations, mineralogy, introduction to some basic concepts, ore petrology and genesis symmetry and Basic quantum chemistry, NMR, FTIR, spectroscopy, group theory, mass spectrometry and their applications, density functional theory and molecular modeling, computational chemistry and weak interactions, computer simulations, reaction dynamics, thermodynamics and green kinetics, electrochemistry, nanomaterials, nanomaterials chemistry, as catalyst in organic synthesis No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Jagannath Nettar 16 Nafisa Balsinor 30 T.D. MahabaleswaraT.D. 20 Bijoy K. Choudharyand S.S. Majhi 30 .K. Chattaraj arala D. Nandedkar B. Other Refresher Courses 1-12-2015 Alok K. Gupta 16-11-2015 29-11-2015 16-11-2015 T 28-11-2015 24-12-2015 26-12-2015 14-12-2015 to P K M Cariappa College,Madikeri to Sophia College, Mumbai Indian Academy of 1 Sciences, Jalahalli,Bangalore to Deoghar A.S. College, Title Venue Duration Course Director Coordinator Biology to Mineralogy, Igneous Petrology Advances in Recent in Chemistry and Thermodynamics, Sedimentology and Economic Geology 1 Water Field Marshal 2 Developmental 3 Crystallography, 4 Refresher Course Sl. No.

21 opics Quantum mechanics, classical physics, experimental physics Basics of quantum mechanics: historical remarks, mathematical background, Schrodinger equation, abstract formulation, Dirac notation, representations and pictures, linear atoms: perturbation theory, oscillator, hydrogen atom, fine structure, helium atom, multi-electron atoms, orbital and spin angular momentum, addition of angular momenta, l-s and j-j coupling, ortho and para hydrogen, interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter: quantum theory of radiation, spontaneous, stimulated emission and absorption probabilities, electric dipole selection rules, Einstein a and b coefficients, Rabi Thomson scattering, Jaynes-Cummings model, molecules: different types of chemical bonds, hydrogen molecular ion, molecule, diatomic molecules, basics of molecular orbital and valence bond theories, rotational and vibrational spectra, basic theory of NMR Recent advances in fields such as soil and rhizosphere RNAi technology, environmental health, biogeochemistry, pollution, functional genomics, plant and genomics and biochemistry, molecular medicine No. ofNo. T Participants Covered M. Sivakumar Anuradha Misra 45 Felix Bast 30 –andRajasekaran G. – Course Director Coordinator Deepak Dhar R.K. Kohli 30-12-2015 04-01-2016 15-02-2016 Punjab, 01-02-2016 enue Duration Shankarghatta to University of Mumbai, 21-12-2015 Mumbai to University of Title V and Talent Search and Talent Quantum Mechanics: Atoms, Molecules and Radiation Biology Bathinda to 5 Physics Training Kuvempu University,6 Applications of 17-12-2015 7 Environmental Sl. No.

22 opics Isolation of DNA and proteins, restriction enzyme digestion, polyacralamide gel PCR, RT-PCR, electrophoresis (PAGE), micronuclei assay, comet assay, chromosome preparation and aberrations bacteria growth curve, assay, mutant generation, lymphocyte culture, observation of plant chromosomes by squash and enzymatic methods, absolute cell count, ploidy measurement and antigen detection by flow cytometry Origin of quantum physics, mathematical tools of quantum mechanics, general formulism of quantum mechanics, one dimensional problems and angular momentum, three dimensional energy Eigen value problems, Heisenberg method- linear harmonic oscillator- matrix method, rotations and addition of angular momenta, approximation methods for stationary states, time-dependent scattering theory. perturbation theory, Thin film preparation by evaporation and sputtering, making pelletsof materials and attaching contacts, and measurement of thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity of alloys metals, thermoelectric, dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and magneticproperties, phase transitions and superconductivity, differential thermal analysis No. ofNo. T Participants Covered .D. Mahabaleswara 25 K. Sathyamoorthy 22 A. John Peter 40 Ramesh T Rajasekaran Course Director Coordinator 24-02-2016 29-02-2016 Nagaraja V. 09-02-2016 G. T. Venue Duration Government Arts College,Arts Government 08-02-2016 G. Manipal to Manipal University, Manipal Sciences, JalahalliBangalore to Melur Indian Academy of Title Molecular in CellTechniques and Molecular Biology 12-03-2016 and Measurement of Properties 8 Quantum Mechanics 9 Material Science 10 Advanced Sl. No.

23 opics Introduction to wireless communications and next generation wireless, convex optimization, wireless networking, next generation WiFi, visible light wireless communication Role of definitions in the development new areas in mathematics, development of wavelets from line segments, methods in geometry, computational two- manifolds (surfaces) and their classification, quantum computing: zero and the one, differentiation, integration and their extension to fractional order, weights on semigroups, some preliminaries on Riemann surfaces proof of the Riemann-Roch theorem for compact Riemann surfaces. Recent developments in methodologies for the construction of carbocyclic compounds, importance of chirality in drug molecules, nanocatalysis. Biopolymers with potential biomedical translation applications, structural biology, of genetic code and enzyme mechanisms, cell biology and apotosis, immunology, evolution and animal chronobiology, research in ecological behaviour, sciences Overview on sustainable energy resources - utilities and limitations, bio- diversity in India with special reference to bioenergy plants, water and civilization, biofuels-source of alternative for future energy renewable energy, demands, turn to hydrogen, exploration sources of energy, of sustainable conjugated polymer based solar cells, the Renaissance in battery development No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Satheeshkumar K.G. 150 Mohabul Alam Mondal 150 Haribhai R. Kataria 120 Pawlin Vasanthi 125 Ramesh T.N. 150 Pandian Chockalingam M. Shah Course Director Coordinator C. Lecture Workshops 24-07-2015 23-07-2015 A. 24-07-2015 23-07-2015 Subrata Ghosh 01-08-2015 V. 03-08-2015 07-08-2015 J. T. 08-08-2015 18-08-2015 K. J. Rao College for Venue Duration University of Baroda Engineering, to Amal Jyothi College Kanjirapally University of Gour Banga Malda to Baroda to Women, Coimbatore to Joseph Tumkur University Tumkur to for 19-08-2015 Title Wireless of Communications and Networking Chemistry Education andResearch Topology Research Approaches in Biology and Emerging Technologies Sustainable Energy Resources 1 Advances in 2 Advances in 3 Analysis and MS 4 Integrated Nirmala 5 Future Perspective Sl. No.

24 continued opics Green revolution to gene revolution, molecular approach to develop disease resistant rice, innate immunity responses in plants, language of four alphabets crop improvement driving biotechnology, by RNA silencing, genetically engineered insect resistance in crop plants, host induced RNA interference (HI-RNAi) for disease and pest resistance in crop plants, genetic engineering for male sterility in crop plants, green genes: their role in improving photosynthetic productivity in higher plants, movements in plants: fascinating example, movements in plants: fascinating example, genetic engineering for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance Self-assembled discrete structures, supramolecular chemistry: concepts and functions, the making of a new family of trinuclear Ni(Ii) single-molecule failure, success and magnets: strategy, supramolecular chemistry serendipity, of coordination compounds, supra- molecualar chemistry of metal oxa engineering: design crystal cluster, principles and funtional materials, hetero- metallic complexes: facile synthesis, activity isomerization, catalytic nuclearity, and magnetic properties, dithiolence based metal coordination complexes as functional materials: a supramolecular approach, supramolecular systems in chemistry and biology: a general approach, functional molecular architectures No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Praveen Mamidala 150 Gautam Kumar Patra 150 Course Director Coordinator Appa Rao Podile 20-08-2015 22-08-2015 Venue Duration elangana University, Nizamabad to Guru Ghasidas 20-08-2015 Vishwavidyalaya,Bilaspur to 21-08-2015 Title to Gene Revolution Assemblies: Synthesis and Application 6 Green Revolution T 7 Supramolecular Sl. No.

25 opics Concept of orbital in chemistry, kinetic in chemistry, Concept of orbital isotope effect and reaction mechanism, drug design - is it really that easy?, study of short-lived species, eletronic structure of transition metal-coordination organic radicals, eletronic structure of transition metal-coordination organic radicals, concept of density in chemistry and materials modelling Structure and function of metallo- Structure biomolecules I, organic transformations in confined space, iron-based ParaCEST MRI agents, Lewis octet, 18 electron rule spices to and isolobal analogy, medicines: the role of organic synthesis, importance of isolobal analogy in Diels-Alder chemistry, organometallic reaction: an evergreen solution to form Modelling proportionate growth, rocks, rivers and sand: simple models for equivalence complex systems, gravity, principle and a glimpse of general evolving universe: Hubble relativity, expansion, relic radiation and dark A science in north west India: energy, historical perspective, spin-orbit mott insulators: an emerging frontier, unraveling nanoscale photon momentum effects on water droplet, quantum physics and Schroedinger's cat, for physics pedagogy, experiments classical and quantum cryptography Molecular spectroscopy, molecular Molecular spectroscopy, fluorescence beams in spectroscopy, spectroscopy and analytical fluorimetry of multi fluorophoric system, amorphous semiconductors and applications, fibre Bragg grating sensors and their applications, non-linear optics, optics of semiconductor hetero- structures No. ofNo. T Participants Covered anda 150 Ravi Chand Singh 150 S.A. Martin Britto Dhas 100 Palaniandavar Prof. N. Raman 120 .K. Das Course Director Coordinator Arvind Swapan K. GhoshP Kumar Amiya 18-09-2015 19-09-2015 10-09-2015 P 09-10-2015 M. 11-10-2015 12-09-2015 Dev Venue Duration Darjeeling to North Bengal University, 18-09-2015 Sacred Heart College Guru Nanak VHNSN College, Virudhunagar to s Tirupattur to Title PhysicsAmritsar University, to Developments on the Theoretical andExperimental Aspects of Advanced Materials 19-09-2015 Perspective Chemical Sciences 8 and Spectroscopy 9 Recent Trends in 11 Emerging Trends in 10 Recent Sl. No.

26 continued opics polycycles, hard and soft acids - the low relevance in inorganic chemistry, melting mixtures as novel reaction medium, luminescent metal-based nanoaggregates, recent advances in nano-based targeted drug delivery domino synthesis systems for cancer, of biologically active molecules of electrified surface/Interface, the Study principle, applications and operations of dye - synthesized solar cells, Scanned probe microscopy an indispensible tool electrochemically in nanotechnology, prepared nanostructural thin films and their application, electrochemical synthesis of Inorganic materials, Information's on polymorphism and morphogenesis of various types electrochemically synthesized inorganic compounds NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis highly resolution spectroscopy, microscopic techniques: discovery to applications, Raman spectroscopy, Mossbauer spectroscopy floristic diversity in india - Pollen biology, in the changing taxonomy an overview, world - emerging challenges and tasks for future, why frequent changes in botanical names? - some aspects of botanical nomenclature, role of gardens in conservation, taxonomic research and education, conserving the biological diversity in india: need for identifying smaller hot spot pockets of biodiversity in different eco-geographic zones, conservation of plant diversity - why India doesn't have a success story? No. ofNo. T Participants Covered enkataramanappa 125 Krishnakumar 150 Merin George 125 Sampath V Y. Course Director Coordinator R.R. Rao G. 1-11-2015 Chandrabhas Narayan 28-10-2015 S. 29-10-2015 24-11-2015 enue Duration NMKRV College for Women, Bangalore to Bishop Moore College, 1 Title V Evolution Mangalore to Electrochemistry Techniques andApplications Mavelikara to 13-11-2015 12 Recent Advances in 13 Spectroscopic 14 and Taxonomy Mangalore University, 23-11-2015 Sl. No.

27 opics Introduction to statistical physics, classical statistics of Maxwell and Boltzmann, some applications of classical statistics, introduction to quantum statistics, Fermi–Dirac some applications of Fermi–Dirac statistics, Bose–Einstein statistics, some applications of Bose–Einstein statistics, cooling of atoms using laser beams. super fluidity in helium Quantum Dots for electronic applications, organic materials for electronic devices, quantum dots, their composition and properties, materials for energy storage - batteries and super-capacitors, nonlinear optical properties of organic molecules in communication, current dependence of society on non- renewable resources, solar energy harvesting some recent Molecular spectroscopy, trends in fluorescence spectroscopy and analytical fluorimetry of multi- fluorophoric system, amorphous semiconductors and applications, Fibre Bragg grating sensors and their applications, non-linear optics, electronic states in molecules and solids, optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of semiconductor Traditional, modern and futuristic vaccines, regulation of yeast metabolism: studies with Pichia pastoris, dissecting cell biology using proteomics, engagement, reception and breakup: the cell-cell concept of cell motility, communication in bacteria No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Raja Gopal 150 Britto 120 Siva Sankar Sai 120 VijayaManjunathaguru 120 Palaniandavar S. Ramasesha Sekhar Mande S. V. Course Director Coordinator 28-11-2015 27-11-2015 25-11-2015 Srinivasan G. 27-11-2015 18-12-2015 M. 20-12-2015 University, Venue Duration Joseph’s College, Joseph’s Puttaparthi Sri Sathya Sai Institute 26-11-2015 S. JSS College of Arts, JSS College of Mysore y Tiruchirappalli to Title Devices MolecularTechniques Vishakhapatnam to 28-11-2015 in Chemistr and theirApplications in of Higher Learning, to andThermodynamics Commerce and Science, to 17 Advances in GITAM 18 Emerging Trends St. 16 Functional Materials 15 Mechanics Statistical Sl. No.

28 continued opics Modelling of electron kinetic force and colloid separation in a permeable gel medium, Fourier and non flux laws for studying heat transfer problems, on stability analysis with applications to convection in porous media, migration of diamond bearing kimberlitic fluid through cracks, non- Darcy flow through a fluid saturated ADE, nano- porous medium, application of fluid through micro-channel How to discover the function of a gene, multidisciplinary approaches to decode strategies of Plasmodium biology, increasing food productivity for growing population in the context of climate chande, assisted reproductive – an overview, technology (ART) fascinating world of insects and their management, TIITS- from bench of beside, animal models for human diseases, observing the plant signalling behaviour during plant pathogen interaction Applications of mathematics in defense research – an overview I, Special functions and legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan, special functions and numerical integration, q and (p,q) generalizations of special functions and their applications I, of mathematics in defense research – an overview II, q and (p,q) generalization of special functions and their applications I, applications of special functions and concluding remarks No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Medda 120 Sumathi 120 M.K. Singh 125 Course Director Coordinator 23-12-2015 05-01-2016 Aparna Dutta Gupta K. P. 22-12-2015 K. Srinivasa Rao K. 06-01-2016 Venue Duration College for Women,Coimbatore to Indian School of Mines, 25-12-2015 Rathish Kumar B.V. RMVC College, Dhanbad to PSGR Krishnammal Kolkata to Title Applications 27-12-2015 and their Applications Porous Media and its 20 Fluid Flow through 21 Biological Sciences 19 Functions Special Sl. No.

29 – opics Chemistry for sustainable development, li-battery materials, prediction of vibrational spectra of small molecules using computational chemistry tools, all- metal aromaticity and hydrogen storage: a conceptual DFT approach, quantum potential based approaches towards quantum dynamics, prediction of nuclear magnetic resonance and electronic spectra of small molecules using density application of 2d NMR functional theory, spectroscopy for structure analysis of organic compounds Science of biology: a short journey, pollination in flowering plants, microbiology and human welfare, sexual selection, bioprospecting: drug discovery from plants, epigenome: in health and sickness. what extent biology as an autonomous To science?, neuroscience then and now: a walk through the history of neuroscience, why science education needs history of science, scientific breakthroughs and the quantitative tradition - their validity versus relevance landmarks in early years of to society, biochemistry in India, broad implications of the history biology for society Fundamentals of quantum mechanics, atomic structure, spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy No. ofNo. T Participants Covered .S. Vasantha 150 Medha S. 125 Rajadhyaksha Prajnamoy Pal 100 M.S. Gayathri 125 Subodh K. Jain 150 Ramaraj V arala D. Nandedkar S.K. Saidapur Course Director Coordinator Shekhar Mande 08-01-2016 28-01-2016 08-01-2016 T 09-01-2016 20-01-2016 Chakraborty T. 22-01-2016 27-01-2016 R. 21-01-2016 22-01-2016 Central Venue Duration Hari Singh University, MaduraiUniversity, to Mumbai to Diamond Harbour to Fakir Chand College, Goodwill Christian 07-01-2016 Bangalore Madurai Kamaraj University, SagarUniversity, to Title Developments in Chemistry Challenging Science and Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules Biology College for Women, to Biotechnology 24 Time and again:College, Sophia 25 Electronic Structure 26 Scope of Medical Dr 22 Advances in 23 Recent Sl. No.

30 continued opics Sucrase inhibitor from sugarcane for controlling the calorie intake, thermogenic food: uncouplers of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, reproduction and stem cells, sex germ biology of stem cells and their applications in regenerative medicine, population demes of India: the grandest biological experimentation of nature, gene targeting in rice, HLA, haplotypes and human health. Design, synthesis and applications of organic and metal-organic hybrids stable bimetallic phase synthesis of quantum dots using solid state chemical and dynamic methods, fundamentals of NMR library to laboratory: a spectroscopy, concept of hybrid natural product synthesis of twin ZnO nanorods for electron-exciton coupling related applications lammelar double hydroxides: layered materials with versatile applications, use of fluorescence in understanding structure and properties of materials, opportunities and challenges in the world of GPCRs embedded soft matter like environment, comparative account of plasmonic photocatalysis under visible light irradiation, inorganic- organic hybrid materials: applications in solar cell Changing trends in plant taxonomy: the concept of species and speciation No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Navaneetha Kannan 100 Marimuthu K. Course Director Coordinator 22-01-2016 Ashok Kumar Mishra Alekha Kumar Sutar 150 21-01-2016 G. 22-01-2016 22-01-2016 23-01-2016 enue Duration ogi Vemana University,ogi Vemana 21-01-2016 Rao R. R. A. M. Reddy 150 Madurai to Ravenshaw University, Cuttack to Kadapa to The American College, Title V Material Sciences Biological Sciences Taxonomy 28 Trends in Plant Y 29 Frontiers in 27 Recent Trends in Sl. No.

31 collagen – opics Environmental sustainability, environ- sustainability, Environmental mental carcinogenesis, metagenomics, nuclear waste degradation, application of biotechnology towards minimization, remediation and monitoring of environmental pollutants Biological data and bioinformatics, biotechnology in human health and disease, stem cell research and its bristol applications, microbial technology, meyer squib, biotechnology in drug discovery chemical and biology, Environmental physical factors influencing the environment, protection of environment using biotechnology Machine learning with decision trees, probabilistic methods in image processing, computational intelligence – trends and research ideas, cognitive modelling – research trends, image in- painting, image super resolution, deep learning, tensor flow for machine learning – demo, machine on hadoop framework, machine learning on hadoop framework case studies, machine learning using R Introduction to nanobiotechnology, metal Introduction to nanobiotechnology, nanostructures for biological application and biosensors, investigating nanoscale motions in lipases by molecular dynamics simulations and investigating Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by atomic force interaction between nano- microscopy, materials and biomolecules studies on the structure and dynamics of like peptides with matrix metalloproteinas No. ofNo. T Participants Covered asuki 150 ina Mary 150 Rajendran 150 Manish R. Bhat 100 Pandian V. Ramaraj Dr M. V Manju Bansal Gopalakrishna 150 Tarala D. Nandedkar Tarala Course Director Coordinator 1-02-2016 27-01-2016 06-02-2016 10-02-2016 B. L. Deekshatulu M. S. Vijaya 100 29-01-2016 30-01-2016 04-02-2016 E. Vijayan05-02-2016 05-02-2016 R. Reg 25-01-2016 J. T. 30-01-2016 Venue Duration Rangasamy College chnology, to . Patil University, 29-01-2016 ellore to PSGR Krishnammal College for Women,Coimbatore to 1 Tiruchengode Vijaya College, Navi Mumbai to Auxillium College, Title Developments inChemistry Ramaswami College, Tiruchirappalli to Machine Learning Nanobiotechnology of Te Present and FutureBangalore to Environmental Biology Biotechnology V 35 Recend Trends in 31 Biotechnology – 32 Emerging Trends in D.Y 33 Environmental 34 Recent Seethalakshmi 30 Recent trends in S. K. Sl. No.

32 continued opics Current problems in taxonomy teaching and research in India - a plea for urgent resurrection of the dwindling subject, role of plant taxonomy and ethno-botany in promoting medicinal plants research India , floristic diversity in India: an nomenclature and botanical overview, endangered species, Charles Darwin and origin of species, fundamentals NMR spectroscopy biology of carnivorous plants, fundamental and applied aspects pollen - pistil of pollination biology, interaction: a prerequisite for fertilization, evolution of human health, synthesis twin ZnO nanorods for electron-exciton coupling related applications, use of fluorescence in understanding structure and properties of materials ,opportunities and challenges in the world of GPCRS embedded in soft matter like environment, comparative account of plasmonic photo- catalysis under visible light irradiation Dissecting cellular and phenotypic environment through metagenomics, the roof of the matter how rice plants cope with drought and salt, dysregulated gene expression through post-translational modifications in human brain tumors, understanding the role of host factors in regulating viral gene expression, regulation of gene expression in tumor angiogenesis, hetero genous gene expression in crop plants. Basics of corrosion, major forms corrosion, biofouling and microbially influenced corrosion: part I, environ- mental cracking process, corrosion of concrete structures, biofouling and microbially influenced corrosion: part II. No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Betty Daniel 150 arajan Arvind Singh 150 Rao Francis Xavier 150 Course Director Coordinator 12-02-2016 12-02-2016 A. K. Nat 13-02-2016 ollege, 10-02-2016 R. R. ollege, 12-02-2016 D. J. Bagyaraj enue Duration chnology, to t. Joseph's C Tiruchirappalli to Bannari Amman Institute Sathyamangalam Title V and Bioresources Corrosion of Te Engineering and Technology Cellular Mechanismsand Gene BangaloreExpression to 13-02-2016 36 Bioprospecting Joseph's C St. 37 Frontiers on 38 Recent trends on S Sl. No.

33 opics Global challenges and solution to emerging issues through biotechnology towards green growth, perspectives of biotechnology tools and techniques to prevail over environmental issues, biotechnology for sustainable agriculture and emerging trends of biological sciences, potential of environmental biotechnology for clean and green environment, societal and economic issues of waste water treatment technologies and recent advancements, current issues and future trends of environmental biotechnology and bioreactor optimization, interdisciplinary research for accelerated bioremediation technologies and biofilm kinetics advanced Introduction to spectroscopy, topics and introduction to ultraviolet nuclear magnetic infrared spectroscopy, 2-D NMR resonance spectroscopy, spectroscopy mass spectrometry practical applications of structure elucidation techniques, hands-on skill on latest software, used for data analysis, interpretation and analysis, focused on structure elucidation of small and macromolecules, quantitative analysis Applications of nanotechnology in optical and magnetic properties biology, of metallic nanostructures, Nano- technology in healthcare, theragnostics based on nanocrystals The role of coordination chemistry in stable inorganic pigments, hard-soft acids-bases (HSAB) in the synthesis of inorganic compounds, nanoscience, nanomaterials and their applications (metal nanoparticles), photoelectro- chemistry and solar energy conversion, fluorescence: basics, interesting developments from our laboratory No. ofNo. T Participants Covered enkata Raoenkata 150 Ponmurugan 150 A. Mathavan 150 Natarajan Rama Shankar Verma P. Siva Umapathi C. V Course Director Coordinator 19-02-2016 19-02-2016 S. 20-02-2016 16-02-2016 , 15-02-2016 Venue Duration . University Xaviers College, 18-02-2016 E. Vijayan Linda Louis 150 .O. Chidambaram Tiruchengode 17-02-2016 Tirupati to K.S. Rangasamy College Title in Chemistry College, Tuticorin to Nanoscience andTechnology Aluva to Techniques and Techniques Applications inMaterial Characterization 17-02-2016 and Techniques inand Techniques SolvingTechnology, of to Environmental Problems 42 Recent Advances V 41 Frontiers in St. 39 Biotechnology Tools 40 Spectroscopic S.V Sl. No.

34 continued – opics Organic synthesis, catalysis, green nanomaterials, coordination chemistry, solid state quantum chemistry, chemistry, energy studies, polymer chemistry, drug and supramolecular chemistry, chemistry. Reproduction and stem cells, sex germ cells, nanotechnology for evergreen revolution in india, arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi in sustainable agriculture, discovering immunogenome of india, microbial inoculants and crop productivity RNAi Breakthroughs in plant ecology, plant rhizosphere biology, technology, plant plant biotechnology, biochemistry, plant breeding, molecular biology, genetics and genomics, photobiology, evolutionary systematic, biogeography, crop improvement biology, Discussion on the theory and applications of Raman spectroscopy and lasers, hard and soft acid base theory in synthetic chemistry of permanent inorganic chemistry, colours, characterization methods in nanoscience, materials for hydrogen storage and generation, organic electronics - issues and challenges. and its DNA chemistry, Computational applications in materials science, cation- interactions, multicomponent synthesis, chemistry metal-DNA synthetic chemistry, Introduction to Fourier series, series and convergence, introduction to Fourier transforms, applications to differential equations No. ofNo. T Participants Covered alhad Pujar 150 Aswar 150 Lakshmikanthamma 150 Suja 100 Mohan Das 150 Felix Bast 110 Ashutosh Gupta 150 Kohli Pandian S. S. Singh Umapathy Prasad Pr Subramanian T. Course DirectorSourav Pal Coordinator A. S. 27-02-2016 21-02-2016 24-02-2016 19-02-2016 22-02-2016 22-02-2016 K. R. 22-02-2016 S. 23-02-2016 26-02-2016 M. 27-02-2016 26-02-2016 Mythily Ramaswamy K. P. enue Duration Tamilnadu, to aranasi to Tiruvarur 03-03-2016 Central University 02-03-2016 V. Amaravati University, to Degree College, to Sant Gadge Baba Bharathiar University, 21-02-2016 J. T. CoimbatorePunjab, Bathinda to to Central University of Christ University, Uday Pratap College, Indian Academy Title V Chemistry Developments in of Developments in Chemical Sciences Amaravati Fourier Transforms in Applications Bangalore Bioscience Breakthrough in Plant SciencesChemical Research Bangalore to Chemistry Computational andExperimental V 49 Recent 44 Innovations in 43 Exploring 45 Recent 46 Modern Aspects of 47 Synergy between 48 Fourier Series, Sl. No.

35 opics Bioinorganic chemistry, biophysical Bioinorganic chemistry, chemical biology and its chemistry, applications, biological aspects of organic mass spectroscopy chemistry, New paradigms of catalysis in organic synthesis, an alternative way of looking at thermodynamics, stereochemistry and conformation, molecularly designed architectures: lessons learnt from supra- supramolecular chemistry, molecular aggregates: sensing and nonlinear optical activity, catalytic properties of molecules, learning chemistry in the computer age and drug discovery – is it really easy?, fluorescence spectroscopy: an over- view and molecular diffusion, coordination variability of thiose micarbozones towards coinage and other metals Why India needs biotechnology in agriculture, how bacteria became pathogen, GM crops-draught gene life and functions of discovery, microRNA in development and diseases, genetically modified mice in cardio- vascular research Molecular and clinical proteomics, genetic cell and molecular engineering, virology, eukaryotic gene expression: biology, control of infectious diseases, microbial signaling in bacterial biotechnology, systems, bioprospecting in micro- organisms, developmental biology Acqua culture, animal biotechnology, medicinal plants, silkworm biotechnology, biodiversity india - concerns and strategies, molecular breeding for improving abiotic stress tolerance and nutritional quality in rice, emerging trends recent advances in plant biotechnology, in immunological techniques No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Shenbagarathai 150 Meenakshisundaram 150 Bharathi 150 Sunil G. NaikSunil G. BhallaVandana 125 100 Pandian M. eluthambi R. Course Director Coordinator Dipshikha S. 05-03-2016 04-03-2016 03-03-2016 K. Das P. 05-03-2016 03-03-2016 V K. 04-03-2016 03-03-2016 J. T. 04-03-2016 Venue Duration ience, to Chakravortty Tiruchirappalli to of Rajasthan, Ajmerof Rajasthan, AmritsarUniversity, to to The Oxford College Bangalore 03-03-2016 Lady Doak College, Nehru Memorial College, Madurai to Applications Title Plant Sciences and Biotechnology Interface of Biology and its Modified Organism – of Sc Pros and Cons Biosciences 50 Chemistry at the Central University51Chemistry Modern Guru Nanak Dev 02-03-2016Rao P. C. 52 Genetically 53 Advances in 54 New Frontiers in Sl. No.

36 continued – opics Nanoscience and technology: concepts and materials, thermal energy nanomaterials for fast processes., organic nanoelectronics: issues and challenges, drug delivery through carbon and silica-based nanostructures, nano- technology, template DNA technology to overcome materials challenges for sustainable energy systems, nobler than the noblest: non- nanoporous materials, Au crystallites, FCC bioinspired nanoarchitectonics, anti- microbial applications of silver nano- particles Microbial inoculants and plant growth, challenges in developing magic bullets medicinal and aromatic plants for cancer, in india : prospects and problem, NMR spectroscopy - versatile technique for structure determination of biomolecules, transgenic approaches to crop improvement, how crop plants survive salt and drought?, understanding cancer biology: basics, enigmas and prospects Inspirations from the molecules of living systems, organic synthesis in the wellness of mankind, inorganic pigments, acids, bases and compounds, nanoscience, nanomaterials and their applications (metal nanoparticles) and photoelectro chemistry and solar energy conversion, fluorescence spectroscopy: fundamentals, prediction of vibrational spectra of small molecules using computational chemistry tools, and prediction of nuclear magnetic resonance and electronic spectra of small molecules using density functional theory No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Ramprsad 125 Parameswari 125 VidyavardhiniJacquiline Rajamathi 125 100 Ramaraj K. U. Kulkarni T. A. Course Director Coordinator K. N. Ganeshaiah 1-03-2016 1-03-2016 R. 12-03-2016 10-03-2016 G. 12-03-2016 10-03-2016 D. J. Bagyaraj 11-03-2016 niversity, 10-03-2016 Moodbidri enue Duration Engineering and Technology, to Alvas Institute of Bishop Cottons PSGR Krishnammal 1 NizamabadWomen's Christian College,Bangalore to to 1 College for Women,Coimbatore to Title V Nano Technology Systamatics and Biomedical Sciences Developments in Chemistry 56 Plant Ecology and U Telangana 55 Nano Science and 57 Advances in Plant 58 Recent Sl. No.

37 – opics DNA structure and excision repair, DNA mechanism of mismatch and nucleotide excision repair pathways, of DNA breaks by homologous recombination, aging and aging-related repair, DNA DNA diseases, our genes and cancer, double-strand breaks: the good, bad and the unknown A different way to learn thermodynamic, mysterious space time, a the wonderland of elementary particles, basic concepts Fe-Cu of nonlinear optics/spectroscopy, dioxygen chemistry of biological relevance, plastic story: history repeats, drug discovery: is it really easy?, plasma learning chemistry in the for society, computer age Mathematical foundation for crypto- cryptography and stegano- graphy, network security and information graphy, intrusion detection and security, prevention, encryption techniques like AES, RSA, mobile security and triple DES, cybercrime and digital internet security, forensics, ethical hacking and laws acts on cybercrime No. ofNo. T Participants Covered asantha 150 Ravikumar 150 Sudeshna Lahiri 150 D. Brindha 150 Course Director Coordinator Uday Maitra 1-03-2016Varshney Umesh L. V V. 19-03-2016 17-03-2016 18-03-2016 K. Porsezian19-03-2016 B. 12-03-2016 16-03-2016 18-03-2016 R. Krishnan enue Duration echnology, Christ University, 1 Aruppukottai to Coimbatore Devanga Arts College, Bongaon Dinabandhu Coimbatore Institute Bangalore to Title V Applied Physics Cyber Security Chemistry andPhysics Mahavidyalaya, to inDirections Cryptography and T of Engineering and to Diseases 59 DNA Repair and 62 Emerging Trends in 60 Excitements in 61 Current Trends and Sl. No.

38 opics Mathematical modelling in fluid mechanics, a factorization theorem for operators occurring in the stokes, Brinkman and Oseen equations, stability of fluid flows, gravity waves theory in fluid dynamics, internal gravity waves theory in computational fluid dynamics, concepts of modelling in human immune system, modeling of biofluid flows, numerical analysis of viscous flows Evolution and human health-I, Mendellan genes to synthetic -I, pollen mendelian genes to synthetic biology, genomes-II, pollen-Plstl l interaction, evolution and human health-II, reproduction and stem cells, the Indian microbiology a zoologist's view conservation Nanomedicine and toxicity, of wild animals India using biotechnological approaches I and II, biotechnology applications of microarray, - the technology of hope, genetic engineering for crop improvement No. ofNo. T Participants Covered Sreenadh 150 Nirmala 150 Samanta 110 Kandaswamy S. arala D. Nandedkar P. Course Director Coordinator 22-03-2016 22-03-2016 22-03-2016 21-03-2016 P. niversity, 21-03-2016 T Venue Duration University, Periyakulam Nizamabad to Tirupati to Jayaraj AnnapackiamJayaraj 21-03-2016 S. K. Saidapur K. Title in Biology College for WomenBiotechnology to Computational Fluid Dynamics 65 Applications ofU Telangana 63 Theoretical and S.V. 64 Frontier Lectures Sl. No.

39 OBSERVANCE OF VIGILANCE AWARENESS WEEK

Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW) was observed from 26 to 31 October 2015 at Indian Academy of Science, Bengaluru. The pledge message was sent to all the staff members to read and the pledge copies were displayed along with Vigilance Slogans on all the notice boards of the Academy. As part of the Vigilance Awareness Week, a special lecture was arranged jointly by Indian Academy of Sciences and Raman Research Institute on 30 October 2015 at the RRI Auditorium. Justice Dr M Rama Jois (former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, former Governor of Jharkhand and Bihar, and former Rajya Sabha Member) spoke on 'Trivarga Ensures Good Governance'.

HINDI WORKSHOPS The Indian Academy of Sciences and the Raman Research Institute jointly conducted a Hindi Workshop on 18th December 2015. The workshop was conducted by Mr Maltesh (OL Officer-in-Charge, Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre, Bengaluru) on 'Practical issues of Official Language Implementation and its Suggestions'.

The Quarterly Hindi Workshop was conducted jointly by the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Raman Research Institute on 29 March 2016. A Quiz Competition in Hindi was held, and Professor Pratibha R. Mudliar (Chairperson, Department of Studies and Research in Hindi, Mysore University) gave a talk on 'Functional Hindi and Translation in the Perspective of Official Language' on this occasion.

SUPERANNUATED ACADEMY STAFF

B. Krishna Hema Wesley B. Sethumani B. Krishna joined the Academy Hema Wesley joined the Academy B. Sethumani, who joined the on 16 July 1981 and super- on 1 April 1990 as Copy editor. She Academy on 17 July 1981, super- annuated on 31 December 2015, superannuated on 31 July 2014 annuated on 29 February 2016, after completing 34 years of as Executive Editor after 24 years completing 34 years of regularised regularised service. She served of regularised service. She continued service. He served in various in various departments of the as Consultant Editor until 31 Academy, before moving to the capacities in the Administration Accounts department, from where December 2015. department, and retired as Assistant she retired. Executive Secretary.

40 OBITUARIES

Nalalanthamala, and Tharoopama. An example of the binomial would be Angulimaya sundaram Subram. He made substantial addition to our knowledge of these fungi, culminating in the publication of a monumental Monograph on Hyphomycetes in 1971. A comprehensive book authored by him Hypho- mycetes: Taxonomy and Biology was published by Academic Press, London, in 1983. This book was released by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

In recognition of his contributions to mycology, Subramanian was elected President of the International Mycological Association in 1977 at Tampa, Florida, USA. Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian He was President of the International Mycological (elected 1955) Congress, Tokyo, Japan (1983). He founded the CV Subramanian, the celebrated mycologist and Mycological Society of India in 1973 and launched the plant pathologist, who had served as Head of the journal KAVAKA (the Sanskrit word for fungi), of which Centre of Advanced Study (CAS) in Botany at the he was the Chief Editor from its inception until 1998. (1973–1985), passed away in CVS was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Bangkok, Thailand, on 5 February 2016. A full article in 1965 and the Rafi Ahmad Kidwai Award of the ICAR prepared by his former students – DJ Bhat, (1972–1973). The Indian Botanical Society honoured J Muthumary, C Rajendran, S Raghu Kumar and BPR him with the Birbal Sahni Medal (1972) and Lifetime Vittal – has appeared in Current Science (2014, 106(10), Achievement Award (2009). His lasting contributions to 1438–1444) under the series ‘Living Legends in Indian plant taxonomy were recognised by the Ministry of Science’. CVS, as he was known to the biologists of Environment and Forests, Government of India, by the his generation, was a broad-based scientist and a award of the prestigious Dr EK Janaki Ammal Award scholar with deep roots in philosophy and music. His (2000). Subramanian was elected to the Fellowship of first appointment as Senior Lecturer in the University the Indian Academy of Sciences (1955), Indian National of Madras in 1951 was followed by a Readership. He Science Academy (1960), Corresponding Member, was then appointed to the newly created Chair in Plant Belgian Royal Academy of Foreign Sciences (1978) Pathology at the Indian Agricultural Research and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1978). Institute, New Delhi (1958). On invitation, he organised He was elected President, Botany Section, Indian the new Department of Botany in the University of Science Congress (1975), Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow Rajasthan at Jodhpur and then at Jaipur, where he (1976–1978) and Member, University Grants Commission became Professor and Head of the Department. He (1979–1982). The other prestigious positions CVS then returned to the University of Madras in the newly occupied have been listed by Bhat et al. in their Current upgraded CAS in Botany. Science article.

His specialization was in the Hyphomycetes, their CVS had deep interest in both Carnatic and Hindustani diversity and taxonomy, which required extensive styles of music. He played the mridangam and was surveys in various parts of India and in Southeast a good singer. Few could match him in the intricacies Asia. He discovered a large number of new taxa, of Hindustani classical music, the various gharanas especially genera. The fungal specimens were and their exponents. He was a great believer and examined under the microscope and illustrated follower of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna systematically. He had a unique principle of Paramahamsa. nomenclature, which was the use of Sanskrit root CVS is survived by his wife and two sons. words rather than Latin or Greek, an approach appreciated by scientists both in India and abroad. A few genera are Angulimaya, Dwayabeeja, Kutilakesa, * * * * *

41 sculpted them into prostaglandins, and found ways to understand how plants solubilize and use the silicon there for growth, and was able to reproduce this in the lab and propagate it in field trials. No wonder he was an enthusiast and practitioner of the Japanese art of paper folding called Origami. Many of his origami-based articles appeared in Resonance in 2000, 2002 and 2003. No account of Ranga can be complete without mentioning his wife, the late Darshan Ranganathan, whom he married in 1970. Together they made an inseparable couple, each inspiring the other, and admired by all. She became an equally outstanding Subramania Ranganathan molecular architect after 1994, when she moved as a (elected 1975) scientist at the Regional Research Laboratory (now renamed as the National Institute of Interdisciplinary With the passing away of Subramania Ranganathan Science and Technology or NIIST) in Thiruvanathapuram (Ranga to most) on 8 January 2016 in New Delhi, we (thanks to MV George), while Ranga took on a senior have lost a truly great enquiring mind, one who scientist position there. The couple later moved to the represented an era of organic chemistry itself. Sadly, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) at it is hardly 13 months since Sathyamurthy wrote an Hyderabad during 1998–99, continuing their outstanding eminently informative account of Ranga in the series researches. ‘Living Legends in Indian Science’ in the 10 December 2014 issue of Current Science that this epilogue has The loss of Darshan to cancer in 2001 broke Ranga to follow. Until the 1950s, organic chemistry was in both in body and spirit. He became a saintly recluse, the ‘classical’ phase, where practitioners isolated and taking some comfort only in the research that he identified molecules from natural sources and attempted continued to carry out. It was at this time that the then to synthesise them in the laboratory using conventional Director of IICT, KV Raghavan made the remarkable methods. Synthesis of complex molecules was a move of offering Ranga an apartment in the campus, a challenge. It was in the 1950s that understanding the laboratory and facilities to carry on his research for as mechanisms behind molecular structures and reactions long as he wanted. began getting clearer (using physical chemistry), and Ranga and Darshan’s son, Anand Ranganathan, has analysis of the details of the structures and shapes of followed their footsteps and after obtaining his doctoral molecules became easier thanks to advances in degree in bioorganic chemistry from Cambridge, UK, spectroscopy. And Ranga took to them eagerly and has moved on into the area of molecular biology and with success. Sathyamurthy describes Ranga’s drug design (at the International Centre for Genetic influence in some detail including his work on vitamin Engineering and Biotechnology and now at the B12 synthesis and on a reaction mechanism that Jawaharlal Nehru University, both in New Delhi). And in actually and crucially led to the establishment of the the tradition of the family, he too sculpts molecules, eponymous Woodward – Hoffmann Rules (for which but this time shuffling triplet codon pairs of the DNA Hoffman received the 1981 Nobel Prize). Such a feel molecule in order to generate protein and polypeptide for Ranga’s teaching and practicing science is best chains that are drug candidates against malaria and illustrated in his monograph Metamorphosis of Camphor tuberculosis. Anand and his wife Sheetal rushed to to Vitamin B12. Hyderabad on 28 December 2015 when Ranga fell in Ranga himself created complex molecules – some his apartment and broke a bone. They took him to the spherical, some knotted and some twisted into double hospital to fix this and later flew him to Delhi to stay helices – for the fun of it. He used pre-sculpted (clay with them but, alas, right in the recovery room at the kind) molecules as building blocks (called ‘synthons’) hospital in Delhi, Ranga breathed his last in the afternoon to make such complex ones. While his mentor of 8 January 2016. Woodward used camphor as the synthon for vitamin B12, Ranga used the components of castor oil and * * * * *

42 honoured with the Vasvik Award for Biological Sciences and Technology by Vividhlakshi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra (VASVIK), a non-profit NGO for the development of high-yielding virus-free sugarcane through tissue culture. During 1960–1985 Jagannathan along with late JC Sadana and C Siva Raman took enzymology research to its pinnacle at NCL.

He was also invited to set up a laboratory for plant genetic engineering at the Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, where he worked as Head of Biotechnology from 1985 to 1992. He has published Venkataraman Jagannathan over a 100 research papers, and more than 30 students (elected 1974) obtained MSc by research and PhD degrees under his guidance. He was on the editorial board of the Indian In science, it is not always necessary to achieve great Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Biochimica success, but also important to conceptualize new ideas Biophysica Acta. In 1988, Jagannathan received the which can be taken forward by others to achieve the Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award. He was a Fellow of distinction. This philosophy was practised by the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, Pune; Indian Venkataraman Jagannathan, who passed away on Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, and Indian National 2 December 2015 at the age of 94. In 2001, Science Academy, New Delhi. With the demise of Jagannathan was one of the pioneers to start bio- Jagannathan, we have lost a pioneering enzymologist. technology in India. Jagannathan and GN Ramachandran used to work on the utilization of cellulosic biomass for the production of single-cell protein and alcohol. * * * * *

Jagannathan graduated in chemistry from Madras University, and did his postgraduation from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (1944). He was awarded Government of Madras scholarship to work for a PhD in Stanford University under the guidance of J Murray Luck. For his doctoral research, Jagannathan worked on purification and characterization of an enzyme, phosphoglucomutase, which converts glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate, a known constituent of various animal tissues, in this case rabbit muscle. After his PhD, Jagannathan received the Heart Foundation Fellowship from NIH, Washington, and Vinod Prakash Sharma worked on pyruvate oxidase of pigeon breast muscle (elected 1998) in Dr David Green’s Enzyme Institute, Madison, for a year. He then joined NCL in 1951. His group in NCL Born on 6 April 1938 in the village Kailwal in discovered several new enzymes. For the first time, Bulandshehar district of Uttar Pradesh, Sharma did his enzymes such as brain hexokinase, acetylcoline schooling in Dehradun. He went to Agra University for esterase and hydrogenase were extensively studied. his Bachelor’s degree in science and to Allahabad He was Head of the Biochemistry Division from 1956 University for his Master’s as well as Doctoral degree to 1981, until his superannuation. Another research (D Phil), which he completed in 1964. A year later, in area he started in NCL is plant tissue culture and the 1965, he went as a postdoctoral fellow to the University contributions of his group included the first successful of Notre Dame in USA. This was followed by a senior micropropagation of mature teak and eucalyptus, virus postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University, where he elimination from sugarcane, propagation of elite was joined by his scientist wife, Manju Sharma, who cardamom, turmeric and others. In 1978, he was aptly later went on to become Secretary, Department of

43 Biotechnology, Government of India. At both Notre Dame Sharma underscored the vital connect between malaria, and Purdue, Sharma’s postdoctoral research and other vector-borne diseases and agriculture. He strongly training focused largely on entomology. Back in India advocated that malaria vector control and Krishi Vigyan in 1968, Sharma also obtained the degree of Doctor of Kendra of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Science (D Sc) from Allahabad University in 1974. (ICAR) come together to transport new technical advances to rural India. He was a highly respected He started his scientific research career as a pool malariologist and was invited to serve on many officer at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, international committees on malaria control efforts where he worked for a year before joining the Indian including ‘Roll Back Malaria’ in India, and more recently, Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as senior scientist in the eradication of malaria. His international in a WHO-sponsored project involving the study of commitments, among many, included chairmanship of genetic control of culicine mosquitoes, where he worked WHO/FAO/ UNCHS/UNEP panel of experts on from 1970 to 1975. These were times when malaria environmental management of vector control, and had re-emerged in the Indian subcontinent with a membership of the world expert committee on malaria vengeance. Confronted with the challenge, Sharma in India. Sharma was internationally recognised as one moved to the Vector Control Research and Malaria of the leaders in malaria control research. His own Research Unit of the ICMR as its Deputy Director and research interests in malaria included epidemiology, worked there for two years. urban malaria, insecticide resistance in malaria vectors, After this, in 1978, having gained considerable sterilisation of male mosquitoes by various methods, experience in different aspects of research in vector- development of new techniques for sex separation of borne diseases in general, and in malaria in particular, mosquitoes, bio-environmental control of malaria and he upgraded the Malaria Research Centre which, to vector biology. begin with, was an upshot of the ‘Genetic Control of His hard work, research output and leadership has Mosquitoes Project’ at ICMR. It was a small and humble been recognised through prestigious awards, and beginning, with only a few scientists available for the memberships of science academies including the mammoth task, but Sharma not only managed to National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, where he consolidate the ongoing activities at the centre, he served as its President during 1999–2000; the Indian also got relentlessly engaged in modernizing it. Never Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, and the Indian hesitant to use new technologies, though never at the National Science Academy, New Delhi. He was recipient expense of time-tested methods of vector and disease of high civil honours – the Padmashree (1992) and control, he developed the centre along with a number Padmabhushan in (2014). After his retirement in 1998, of field stations at different key locations in the country he was nominated as the Meghnad Saha Distinguished for trying out newer methods of vector control and Fellow of NASI at the Centre for Rural Development reducing malaria infections. It was mostly through his and Technology at IIT, Delhi. During his time at the vision and leadership that malaria research was to Centre, VP continued to be seriously involved in gain impetus and soon brought into focus. Today India international programmes such as Roll Back Malaria is one of the largest contributors to malaria research and malaria eradication along with conservation, in the world and Sharma can be accredited as being availability and access to water, as well as environment one of the key leaders to have had the vision to reignite protection. He led the Safe Water Campaign started by the concern in difficult times. Malaria Research Centre NASI and wrote extensively on this important subject. was renamed National Institute of Malaria Research Sharma was seriously concerned about issues regarding (NIMR) and is now one of the leading institutions that water resource management in India. He was the key carries out research in all aspects of malaria, besides figure in organising several brainstorming workshops being a leading contributor to policy decisions regarding on safe water and sanitation, which led to several the issue of combating malaria in India. These publications like Safe Water and Community Health. outstanding efforts and relentless focus on various His interest in environmental issues becomes evident aspects of malaria control quite naturally led to his from the fact that he delivered the lecture on ‘Sunlight appointment as its first Director, a post he held till he and human health’ four days before he went to the retired from service in 1998, and then he took up the hospital for the last time. Essentially a field person, he position of Additional Director General, ICMR.

44 was deeply interested in seeing and making things During the next couple of years he was a lecturer in materialise in field situations. Some of his endeavours the Department of Zoology at Aligarh. He proceeded to include rejuvenation of baolies (water bodies) in rural United Kingdom for higher studies in 1953. In 1956 areas and development of a mosquito-proof byepass he completed his DSc and PhD degrees from the desert cooler. Sharma loved writing and editing and University College of North Wales, UK. After returning encouraged others to do so as well. It was primarily to India he served as Lecturer (1956) and Reader (1957) through his efforts and drive that the Indian Journal of in the Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University. Malariology, later rechristened as the Journal of Vector He then occupied a number of increasingly important Borne Diseases, was restarted. He published more positions in education and research institutions of the than three hundred research papers and authored country: Professor, Central Institute of Fishery several books. His writing output showed no decline Education, Mumbai (1962); Assistant Director, even when his health did. He has left behind several International Indian Ocean Expedition, Kochi (1964); books in their final stages of publication. Sharma was Director, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, a cheerful communicator and was prepared to talk about Kochi (1970); additional charge of Director, Central subjects of interest at any level; he gave talks at Institute of Fisheries Technology (1973); Director, schools, at colleges and universities and continued National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa (1974). this even when his health was compromised during the At these institutions he made pioneering contributions last few months of his life. in a number of areas including marine biology, fishery Sharma breathed his last on 9 October 2015 after his and oceanography of the waters around India. He was health deteriorated suddenly and rapidly. He leaves also associated with demonstration of potential for behind his wife Manju Sharma, his son Amit Sharma, aquaculture in the country, and promotion of technology himself a noted malaria structural biologist, his daughter- for cultured pearls. Qasim’s own work and his support in-law Divyani and two grandchildren. to others at these institutions earned him the reputation as a progressive leader of science, ever willing to help productive researchers, particularly the young ones. The * * * * * institutions he led saw significant development of infrastructure to conduct research. NIO acquired its first research vessel, a basic requirement of any oceanographic institution, during Qasim’s tenure (1974– 81) as Director – RV Gaveshani was acquired by the institute in 1977. NIO also saw launching of long-term programmes of research. The most important of these, initiated by Qasim with his close associate H. N. Siddiquie, aimed at exploration of deep sea polymetallic nodules in the Indian Ocean. Qasim led the first expedition under the programme on board RV Gaveshani. The programme was completed successfully for India to claim rights of a pioneer country for mining of nodules (rich in iron, manganese, copper, Syed Zahoor Qasim nickel and cobalt) in the Central Indian Ocean. The (elected 1976) programme had another beneficial impact. Well funded, the programme sustained multidisciplinary research – Syed Zahoor Qasim, 88, passed away on 20 October biology, chemistry, geology and physics – of the 2015 at his residence in New Delhi. He leaves behind North Indian Ocean for almost three decades. It helped his wife Nawabzadi Begum Sahiba Rampur and three daughters. Qasim was born on 31 December 1926 in NIO get an identity as an oceanographic institution Allahabad. He studied at Majidia Islamia Intermediate dedicated to the study of oceanography of the North College, Allahabad, and then at Aligarh Muslim Indian Ocean. This basin experiences the winds and University, where he obtained a BSc degree in 1949. precipitation associated with the annual cycle of the In 1951 he stood first in MSc (Zoology) from the same monsoon and exhibits features that are strikingly university and was awarded the University Gold Medal. different from those in the North Atlantic and the North

45 Pacific that experience the steady trades. There was now, for the first time, a capable institution located close to the basin to study it.

In 1981 Qasim moved from Goa to New Delhi to serve as Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Wildlife (1981–82), where he led India’s first expedition to the Antarctica. The expedition initiated research of an entirely new genre, study of the icy polar continent of Antarctica, by researchers from India, a tropical country. The media in India covered the expedition widely to a favourable response from the country – Antarctica had caught the imagination of the country. Parameswaran Hariharan An important instrument in Qasim’s hands to support (elected 1972) such growth, both of Antarctic research and of oceanography of the North Indian Ocean, was the Parameswaran Hariharan, known to many of his Department of Ocean Development (DOD) (which colleagues and friends as Hari, passed away in subsequently became a part of Ministry of Earth Berkeley, California, on 26 July 2015. Hariharan Sciences), Government of India, Qasim became DOD’s was born on 26 December 1926 in Madras (now founding Secretary in 1982 and served there till Chennai). He went to school in Madras and then 1988. Five decades ago the global oceanographic Thiruvananthapuram. He obtained his MSc degree in community launched the International Indian Ocean physics in 1948 from the University of Travancore. Expedition (IIOE) whose most intense phase was during Hariharan joined the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), 1962–1965. The expedition was one of the largest New Delhi, in 1949. Sponsored by the Colombo Plan, international, interdisciplinary oceanographic research he spent three years at the National Research Council efforts ever conducted in which 40 oceanographic (NRC), Ottawa, Canada. There he published some of research vessels belonging to 13 countries surveyed his earliest papers in the Journal of the Optical Society the Indian Ocean and collected data that provided the of America, including one in which he studied the first comprehensive look at oceanography of the ocean. diffracted light emanating from an annulus. Another paper Following his tenure at DoD, Qasim served as Vice- from this time was on the resolving power of Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia Central University photographic emulsions. during 1989–1991 and as Member of the Planning Commission during 1991–1996. After leaving the Upon his return to NPL in 1955, Hariharan was awarded Planning Commission he continued his association with a PhD by the University of Kerala in 1958. At NPL, he science institutions in the country and abroad. He kept published a series of papers on interferometry, many himself occupied with writing, lecturing and interacting of them in collaboration with D. Sen. From 1962 to with institutions dedicated to the fields of his interest. 1971, Hariharan was Director of the laboratories at Qasim’s work brought him many laurels. He was Hindustan Photo Films (HPF), Ootacamund. With awarded Padma Shri (1974), Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award support from the Managing Director of HPF, M. A. S. (1978), Lal Bahadur Shastri Award (1988), Padma Rajan, he carried out research on photographic Bhushan (1982), Oceanology International Lifetime materials. It was here that he started working on Achievement Award, UK (1999), First National Ocean holography. Dhawan recruited him as a Senior Professor Science and Technology Award by Government of India at IISc, to be based in the Central Instruments and (2003–04), Asian Society Gold Medal (2005), SOFTI Services Laboratory (CISL). At IISc, his work focused Biennial Award (2007) and Lifetime Achievement Award, on holography and speckle patterns. Hariharan was Indian Science Congress (2008). He was elected to all elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in the three national science academies of the country 1972 and the Indian National Science Academy in 1973. and to The World Academy of Sciences. He was In the summer of 1972, Hariharan spent three months President, National Academy of Sciences, India (1983– at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial 84) and General President, Indian Science Congress Research Organization (CSIRO) in Sydney, Australia, (1992–93). at the invitation of W. H. (‘Beattie’) Steel, an expert in * * * * * interferometry. During that stay, Hariharan was offered 46 a permanent position, which he accepted, and spent this experimental work, Hari developed more the remainder of his career in Australia, where he made sophisticated algorithms that were less susceptible to important contributions to the fields of holography and phase-shift errors and capable of greater accuracy in interferometry. Hariharan continued to visit scientific phase measurement. The optical workshop at CSIRO institutions in India and to collaborate with Indian was at that time manufacturing optical surfaces whose scientists, especially after his retirement from CSIRO deviation from form (flat or spherical) was so small that in 1991. He visited a number of laboratories in India as quantitative measurement was increasingly difficult. part of the UNESCO-sponsored TOKTEN (Transfer of Hari’s innovations in digital interferometry were perfectly Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) programme. timed; with the principle of ‘if you can measure it, you He was a Jawaharlal Nehru Professor at the University can make it’, the interferometers designed and built by of Hyderabad (1993), and a Visiting Scholar sponsored Hari and his CSIRO colleagues allowed his co-workers by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics to produce optical components and assemblies that in (ICTP), Trieste, and at the Raman Research Institute subsequent years found their way into the LIGO (RRI), Bengaluru (1996–98) where he collaborated with interferometer, NASA instruments, optical solar several scientists. observatories and into industry as reference optics for As Director of the laboratories at HPF, he became an commercial interferometers. Hari retired from CSIRO in expert in photographic emulsions, which, combined with 1991 as Chief Research Scientist, the Organisation’s his optical expertise, gave him a background perfectly highest scientific rank. He continued his work as an suited to the technically and artistically demanding Honorary Research Fellow at CSIRO and an Honorary field of holography. Hari’s early contributions included Visiting Professor at Sydney University. Hari also the design of a new three-beam interferometer, the expanded his circle of research associates and double-passed Fabry–Perot interferometer, and the first institutions to a number of countries including USA, practical radial shear interferometer. This background UK, Japan, India, Mexico and Australia. in interferometry led naturally to his interest in holography. His expertise in processing photographic During the following 20 or so years, Hari continued his emulsions (the principal recording medium for the prolific innovation and publication programme with the highest quality holograms) led to innovations that support of his old and new-found associates. His dramatically improved the diffraction efficiency and interests broadened as well; for example, he was the brightness of holograms as well as their stability. The first to demonstrate achromatic phase shifting using artistic community was quick to recognise the value of the geometric phase, and made significant contributions his work; he collaborated with artists, including Paula to the study of quantum effects in optical interference. Dawson (http://www.pauladawson.com/), Alexander (http://www.art-alexander.com/), and Margaret Benyon Hari’s lifetime contributions and achievements have (http://holowiki. nss.rpi.edu/wiki/Margaret_Benyon). spanned an amazing period of more than 60 productive Along with his deep knowledge of classical optics, years, during which he published more than 200 Hari was an innovative cross-disciplinary thinker. He journal articles, wrote four highly regarded books recognised very early the power of modern electronics and five major reviews, as well as book chapters and and microprocessors in optics, and in 1981, with articles for non-peer-reviewed publications. Hari colleagues at CSIRO, developed a novel holographic achieved notable international recognition for his exposure control system which combined the power of original scientific contributions in interferometry, modern electronics and clever opto-mechanical devices holography and other areas. to enable efficient and accurate holograms to be recorded each time. It was in interferometry, however, Hari’s awards are too numerous to mention, but possibly where this cross-linking bore the best fruit. The principles those that meant much to him personally were the of phase-shifting interferometry were in their early Gold Medal of SPIE in 2001, SPIE Dennis Gabor Award stages of development, and Hari worked with his in 1992, and the Joseph Fraunhofer Award from the colleagues at CSIRO to develop the hardware needed Optical Society of America in 1989. to shift the phase of the interferometer and the CCD- based detection to record the intensity patterns used In the latter years of his life Hari moved to the US to by the phase-recovery algorithms. Concurrently with be closer to his children and grandchildren.

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47 Suhas Chandra Sanyal (elected 1992) (elected 1987)

Born on 1 January 1942, Suhas Chandra Sanyal passed Deepak Kumar, born on 3 April 1946, passed away on away on 5 August 2015. A detailed obituary note will 25 January 2016. A detailed obituary note will appear appear in a future issue of Patrika. in a future issue of Patrika. * * * * * * * * * *

Paramasivam Natarajan (elected 1987) (elected 2006)

Born on 17 September 1940, Charusita Chakravarty, born on 5 May 1964, passed passed away on 18 March 2016. A detailed obituary away on 29 March 2016. A detailed obituary note will note will appear in a future issue of Patrika. appear in a future issue of Patrika.

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